Everything Is Alright
by Neon Genesis
Summary: When Sasuke returned to Konoha, it took him a while to understand his feelings for one Haruno Sakura: he wanted a mother. But what he found was so much more. SasuSaku. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**Everything Is Alright**

"Did you hear? He's back…"

"The Uchiha traitor? I can't believe he'd show his face after what he did!"

"Do you think he's as handsome as he was when he left? Should I break up with my boyfriend?"

Sakura pointedly ignored the brief snippets of conversation she couldn't help but overhear as she walked to the hospital. She knew that the villagers had the right to think badly of her teammate—by betraying the village, he'd jeopardized them all. But she couldn't help but be angry by their unabashed gossip, they way they presumed to know anything about him.

Of course, one could argue the same thing about her and Naruto, now.

Upon entering the hospital, she was greeted by a harassed-looking, middle-aged nurse. "Sakura-san, thank goodness you're here! The Uchiha boy is refusing to let us treat him—he won't let anyone change his bandages, he won't let us monitor his heart-rate, he knocked the tray of food all over the floor—"

"Relax, Notoko-san," Sakura soothed. "I'll take care of it. Which room was he in, again?"

"Room 57," the nurse breathed, greatly relieved. "But be careful, Sakura-san, he's been very uncooperative. I was afraid he would punch me when I tried to give him a shot."

Sakura smiled a little. Uncooperative. If there was ever a word for Sasuke, that was it. "I'll take my chances. Could you tell Tsunade-sama that I'd like to see her later? Thank you."

Notoko bustled away as Sakura adjusted the messenger-bag on her shoulder and, after grabbing a file from the front desk, headed towards the dark-eyed boy's room.

--

Sakura had changed, Sasuke noticed idly as the girl entered his hospital room, rifling through a manila folder. She looked up briefly and offered him a distracted smile. "Good morning, Sasuke-kun. Did you sleep well?" Her voice was soft and distant, and Sasuke could tell she wasn't expecting an answer—which was good, because he wouldn't have offered one anyway.

Her pin-straight, pastel pink hair brushed her shoulders and framed a delicate face with high cheekbones, a small nose, and peach-colored skin. The lashes that ringed her green eyes brushed her cheeks as she read a paper. She was only about 5"5, with a slim build. The top she was wearing was sleeveless and dusty green, with a black skirt and black leggings. A navy blue messenger-bag was slung over her right shoulder.

Unlike when she was thirteen, her stride was not awkward and hesitant—still not graceful, but smooth. She emitted a quiet confidence, and Sasuke realized she must hold some amount of authority if she was able to pass the ANBU members guarding his door. She was almost-pretty, he decided, and realized he must be extremely bored if he took the time to assess her like this.

"Alright," she said, apparently having found the paper she was looking for. She dragged a chair over to the side of his bed and sat down, her left leg tucked under her. "It seems you broke your left leg and two of your fingers, sprained your right wrist, cracked two of your ribs, and had a mild concussion. It's strange that's all, considering you fought someone so powerful. I'm assuming this was mainly a genjutsu-oriented battle, then?"

Sasuke shrugged. It had been for the first three-fourths of it, before it progressed to ninjutsu and a bit of rapid taijutsu.

Both of their heads turned towards the door at the same time to see Neji enter the room, appearing, could it be, almost _disheveled._ Almost. The pale-eyed young man coolly ignored Sasuke and looked to Sakura, his expression carefully neutral. "Sakura, could I speak to you, please? It's important."

Sakura blinked at him and smiled uncertainly. "Of course, Neji. Do you mind waiting a little while, though? I just need to finish up with Sasuke-kun."

"I'd rather not wait," he said, calmly but firmly.

Sakura regarded him quietly for a moment before turning back to Sasuke. "Do you mind, Sasuke-kun? It'll only be a minute."

Sasuke shrugged, his indifference clear. However, he couldn't help but wonder in a detached manner when Sakura had become acquainted with Hyuuga Neji.

--

Sakura followed Neji to the end of the hallway, out of earshot of the ANBU guarding Sasuke's door. "What is it, Neji?" she inquired a bit apprehensively. She knew he wouldn't interrupt her with a patient to chat about the weather. She doubted he'd ever chat about the weather, anyway—or _chat_, for that manner.

"Sakura," he began steadfastly, "I don't think that… you should really be putting too much effort into reacquainting yourself with Uchiha Sasuke. I know that you still consider him a friend, but I don't think it's in your best interest—he's…" He broke off, eyeing her.

"A traitor?" Sakura finished for him, deceptively mild.

Neji looked her in the eyes. "Yes."

Sakura didn't speak for a moment, struggling to curb a sharp retort. Despite her pretense of nonchalance when speaking with the nurse, Notoko-san, Sasuke's return affected her deeply. She was quite aware that she still cared about him a great deal—she even knew she loved him, though whether it was still in a romantic sense was debatable. She'd been fighting with herself not to run her hands over Sasuke's face, through his hair, to assure herself that he was real, that he was there, that her Sasuke-kun had finally come home.

"Neji," she said quietly, "thank you for your concern. But I'd rather you stayed out of it." Neji's eyes narrowed slightly, and he seemed almost offended. "Even after all this, I trust Sasuke-kun. He's my teammate, and I'll always help him when he needs me."

He appeared to choose his words carefully. "Just… be cautions, then. You're a smart girl, Sakura. I don't want you to get—" he bit off the last word, his face settling again into cultured placidness. "That's all, then. I apologize for wasting your time."

Sakura grinned at him with slightly forced cheer. "A conversation with you is never a waste of time, Neji. You're just such a barrel of laughs, you know?"

One corner of his mouth turned up. "Well, one of us needs to be cheerful—you're always so depressing."

Sakura nodded, feigning solemnity. "Yes, my therapy can only get me so far." She smiled at him softly. "Really, though, thanks for worrying about me, Neji." Aware that she was making him uncomfortable, she touched his arm lightly. "I'm going to get back to Sasuke-kun, now. I'll see you."

--

Sasuke didn't look up when Sakura re-entered the room and sat back down. "Sorry about making you wait," she said, smiling apologetically.

He grunted indistinguishably, his eyes trained on the minute stitching of his sheets.

"Well, they did a good job patching you up last night, but you have to stay in the hospital for another week or so." When Sasuke glared at her, she responded with a mild one of her own. "Sasuke-kun, you have to stay here—there's no arguing that. And you have to do what the nurses tell you to do—I was informed of your shenanigans earlier this morning—yes, Sasuke-kun, _shenanigans_, don't make that face. Really, the nurses know what's best for you, and they're only doing their jobs. You could try to be nice—talk about the weather, or something. Yeah."

She exhaled loudly, ruffling her bangs. After grabbing her bag and returning the chair to its original position, she paused on her way out the door. Ducking her head so that her hair swung forward and veiled her face, she asked quietly, "Why did you come back?"

Sasuke only answered, voice raspy with disuse, when her hand once again reached for the handle on the door. "Where else was I supposed to go?"

"You could have gone back to Sound," she pointed out mildly, but Sasuke detected the underlying tension.

He gave her a blank stare, slightly irritated that he couldn't see her face. "Their forehead-protectors are gay."

Sakura's head jerked up, eyes wide, and started laughing in a way that was both surprised and incredulous. Was what he said really the unprecedented?

She turned to face him fully, and smiled, green eyes clear and gentle. "Sasuke-kun, I'm glad you're home."

--

Sakura knocked on the door to her master's office, still smiling slightly. Sasuke had never been that frank with her, unless he was criticizing her. It made her feel like maybe things would be different this time, like maybe she and Sasuke could really, truly be friends.

"Come in."

After shutting the door quietly behind her, Sakura went to stand directly in front of the Hokage's desk, and asked directly, "What are you going to do about Sasuke-kun?"

The Godaime sighed and rubbed her temples. "I actually had a favor to ask you about that. He can't leave the village for two years, and he can't go on missions for three. He is to be kept under 24/7 surveillance for a year."

Sakura bit her lip. "So… there's no chance he could be executed?"

Tsunade laughed humorlessly. "No. After I laid out his options for him, he coughed up information on the Sound and the Akatsuki. And he did kill Orochimaru, Deidara, and Itachi, which we are thankful for. It would be a shame to let the Sharingan disappear from Konoha, anyway."

Sakura wasn't sure she liked hearing her teammate's life be judged by the value of his blood, but kept silent. She really should be grateful. Traitors were rarely—almost never—treated so leniently.

"There's a… slight problem, however." Tsunade actually looked a bit uncomfortable—that was new.

"Hmm?"

"In order to be kept under 24/7 surveillance, someone needs to live with him, but he has vehemently refused to let some random ANBU guards live in his family's house. Normally I would disregard this, but he seemed adamant about it, and I'd rather he be as willing and complacent as possible—if the villagers know he's raising a fuss, they'll get anxious. Very anxious. So… would you be willing to live with him?"

Sakura's mouth dropped open, an uncouth response her mother would have criticized her for. "I—what? _Me? _Tsunade-sama, that…" That what? It wasn't like it meant anything. She'd just be his warden, of sorts. But, Christ, how awkward would _that _be? And, anyway, she didn't have time to babysit him, she reminded herself.

"What about my work in the hospital?"

Tsunade shrugged. "Drag him along, and if he starts scaring the patients, lock him in your office. I'd ask Naruto to stay with him, but he'll be on a lot of upcoming missions, dealing with the Sound and ferreting out the last members of the Akatsuki. When he is in the village, though, you can hand the Uchiha over to him. I really don't expect him to try anything, but you could handle him well enough until you got back-up if he did decide to try and escape."

Sakura bit her lip. "Well… okay, but Sasuke-kun won't be very happy about it," she warned. Oh, the beauty of the understatement.

Tsunade shrugged again. "If given the choice between you and an ANBU guard, I'm confident he'll pick you. You were his teammate, after all." Yes, because that counted for so much in the long run, Sakura thought bitterly.

"If you say so..."

Tsunade smiled at her encouragingly, sensing the inner turmoil behind the affected detachment. "You'll do fine. If he starts giving you any trouble, just punch him."

Sakura smiled in a noncommittal sort of way. "I was planning on it."

--

Only when she was lying in her bed that night did she allow herself to worry. Sasuke had grudgingly agreed to let her live with him, as Tsunade had predicted. Sakura wondered whether she would be able to live with him after almost seven years of absence. It was a daunting thought.

* * *

_Rewritten_: 3/6/10.

Takes place after the Itachi-Sasuke fight.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto--or Sasuke, or Sakura, or anyone else. Do I wish I did? Definitely. That doesn't seem to have an impact on the universe, however…


	2. Chapter 2

**Everything Is Alright**

Sasuke was not pleased, to put it mildly. The idea of allowing Sakura, a person who did not bear the Uchiha name, did not display their fan on her back, to live in his ancestral home was ludicrous, insulting. Still, it was better than some random ANBU officer. Besides, it was only for a year—twelve months, three hundred and sixty-five days, it was all relative. Yes, he was sure that the next time he checked, the year would be over and he would have his house to himself.

… It didn't make it any less awkward.

He could tell that Sakura was just as uneasy about the living arrangement as he was. She hadn't spoken much while they walked to the Uchiha manor, though Sasuke was starting to suspect that she wasn't as chatty as she'd been in their Genin days, back when she'd blabbered incessantly whenever she was nervous or upset or happy. He had to admit that he appreciated the change.

After walking quickly through the deserted Uchiha sector, they arrived at the house Sasuke had grown up in. It was exactly the same as he remembered—cold, desolate, and empty. Home.

Disconcerted, Sasuke noticed that what he could see of the outside house so far was clean—no dust, no grime. (But blood, blood everywhere, invisible to the human eye, but the Sharingan had always been special, hadn't it?) Who had…? He glanced at Sakura, frowning.

She correctly interpreted his look. "I hired a Genin team to clean the house a couple of days ago," she explained. "I made sure they didn't move anything or throw anything out, but now it's fit for human habitation." (No, not humans, just ghosts and memories and echoes.)

The inside of the house was immaculate—Genin these days were more thorough, he supposed. It was eerie how it looked exactly as it had the last time he'd been here, twelve years ago, furiously scrubbing at the floor, trying to rid it of the blood stains, while the chafed skin on his palms and knuckles dripped and only worsened the problem.

His emotions must have been evident on his face, for Sakura was watching him, obviously concerned. He almost expected her to revert to her old ways and fling her arms around him, crying, and whispering to him that _it's alright, everything is alright. _

Instead, she walked by him towards what had once been a guest room and brushed her fingertips over his left hand, which had been clenched into a fist, dead-white. It was quick, fleeting, but it soothed Sasuke a bit. It must have had something to do with being a medic—"healing hands" and all that.

--

Sasuke had been lying on his bed for over an hour, scowling and fidgeting. He wanted to get out of the house, to _do _something, but he couldn't go anywhere without Sakura. The year seemed pretty bleak.

A knock on his door sounded. Sakura—it couldn't have been anyone else—stepped in. "Hey, Sasuke-kun. You're not doing anything dangerous or illegal, are you?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. Obviously she had gotten more flippant while he'd been gone.

She smiled unperturbedly at his obvious disdain. "I'm supposed to check. It's the whole reason I'm here, anyway." She sat down on his bed, and he edged away from her. "I'm going to go to the market—there's no food in the house. Do you want to come?"

"It's not like I have a choice," he pointed out blandly.

She shrugged. "I know, I just thought it would be polite to ask. Come on." She grabbed his forearm, and tugged him to his feet with surprising strength.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and pulled his arm away, shoving his hands in his pockets. Sakura didn't seem offended—in fact, he doubted she even noticed, as she'd left the room a second later, and had to stick her head back in. "You coming?"

Her eyes were very green, he noticed.

"Hn," he muttered, and followed her slowly, listening to her footsteps reverberate in a house that had been devoid of sound for so long.

--

The market was so crowded that Sasuke actually had to make an effort not to lose sight of Sakura. If only she were taller, he mused darkly.

Sasuke attempted to blend into the background and wait this torturous ordeal out, but it was rather difficult with all the stares he was getting. Sasuke ignored them and watched Sakura shop. She was wearing baggy black pants and a pale yellow hoodie, with her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, away from her face. Still, she had to pause every once in a while to brush her bangs out of her eyes.

Watching her, he had to admit that it was kind of nice to share responsibility for something, to not have to take care of everything by himself. It was still strange, still foreign, still awkward, but… it reminded him of times spent in this very market, shopping for groceries with his mother on sunny afternoons. He didn't like that she was able to bring up memories of his mother, but at least they were pleasant memories.

A ridiculously over-filled shopping cart was being pushed through the crowd by a diminutive woman who clearly couldn't see where she was going. In the direction it was going, it was bound to crash right into Sakura, who was speaking amiably with the check-out attendant.

Sasuke automatically pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning against, intent on pulling her out of the way. At the last second Sakura took a quick, fluid step backwards and to the side, narrowly avoiding being pulverized. She didn't seem alarmed at all and only carried on her conversation as if nothing had happened.

Sasuke gradually rested his weight upon the wall once more, his muscles still tensed. Perhaps, among other changes, this Sakura could take care of herself as well. It almost made him feel unnecessary, expendable. A good portion of his memories of Team Seven involved himself protecting her from harm.

A few minutes later Sakura was loading him down with two large baskets of food. "Make yourself useful," she ordered, another one tucked in the crook of her arm. He followed grudgingly as she wove through the crowds, maintaining a distance of five feet between them.

While walking, he rifled through the contents of one of the baskets. Rice, tomatoes (many, he thought approvingly), instant ramen, various frozen foods, bread, eggs, protein bars, apples, and canned foods were accounted for.

The other basket turned out to contain solely packages upon packages upon muffins; blueberry and chocolate chip and cinnamon chip and double chocolate. Sasuke looked at her. "You like muffins," he intoned flatly.

She glanced at him. "Quite perceptive, aren't you? Man, your Sharingan can see _everything_."

He didn't deign to reply.

--

When they arrived back at the house, Sakura immediately went to work storing things in the refrigerator and cupboards. Sasuke sat in one of the kitchen chairs, sharpening a kunai and keeping an eye on her, making sure she didn't put anything in a weird or unprecedented place.

After she had finished she sat down next to him, propping up her face on her hand. "So, Sasuke-kun, what do you want for dinner?"

He offered a noncommittal grunt as he inspected the lethally sharp blade.

"You realize that it's a very rare occasion that I am willing to make something that requires time and effort, yes?" she warned. "I'm going to be getting home late from the hospital most nights, so it's either eating out or making something along the lines of instant ramen."

He shrugged, prompting her to sigh. "Fine, but if you don't like it, I will offer you no sympathy."

An hour later they were eating some sort of dish involving fish, vegetables, and rice. It wasn't extraordinary, but it was edible, which was all that mattered to Sasuke. Chewing slowly, he looked over at his eating companion. Sakura was reading what appeared to be a very large, most likely very heavy textbook as she ate.

She noticed his eyes upon her and glanced up. "Yes?"

He looked at his plate and moved some rice around. "It's rude to read at the table."

She grinned impishly at him and turned a page that was crammed with ridiculously small print. "I never thought I'd see the day you would preach dining etiquette, Sasuke-kun. How's the food?"

"It's fine," he muttered.

"I'm glad."

A few minutes later Sasuke looked up again. She was watching him carefully, and didn't look away when he frowned at her. "It's still fine," he said monotonously.

"I'm still glad."

"Then what are you staring at," he demanded in irritation.

She smiled slightly and turned another page. "Nothing, nothing."

--

The next morning at six AM Sasuke rolled over in bed, swearing under his breath as his alarm rang. After turning it off, he rubbed irritably at his eyes and wandered over to his bathroom. He was always in a horrible mood when he woke up, yet he rose early anyway.

After taking a quick shower and throwing on dark gray pants and a loose black shirt, he started a pot of coffee in the kitchen.

After a little while Sakura stumbled out of her room, wearing a white camisole and mint green pajama pants. Her hair was a mess, and it appeared as if every shuffle of her feet was an effort. He would never have guessed she was that disoriented when she woke up.

Moving to brush past her in the hallway, he was surprised when she walked right into him, her head down and her hair covering her face. Even after she bumped into him, she didn't adjust her course and kept trying to walk forward. There was no hope of her slight frame pushing past his tall, muscular countenance, and Sasuke, vaguely amused, didn't move out of her way.

Eventually she stepped back a bit and squinted blearily at him. "Who put that wall there…?" she muttered, and he realized she was even more out of it than he thought.

He gripped her shoulders loosely and bent down to look her in the eye. "Sakura, hey. Get a grip."

She tilted her head. "… 'suke-ku…" she mumbled, before her knees buckled and she collapsed forward.

Startled, Sasuke caught her as she was falling and moved to prop her up against the wall, shaking her lightly. "Sakura? Hey, Sakura!" She didn't respond, already sleeping deeply.

Frustrated and a little concerned, Sasuke developed an idea. Slipping one arm around her shoulders and the other under her knees, he carried her into the bathroom and set her on her feet in the shower, while he stood outside, gripping her upper arm to keep her balanced. He positioned the shower head to aim directly at her face and turned it on unceremoniously.

Three seconds of cold water to the face and Sakura was wide awake, screaming and flailing. Sasuke pulled her out before she slipped and turned off the water, smirking.

Sputtering and livid, she glared daggers at him while pushing her sopping wet hair out of her eyes. "You are _dead,_ Uchiha! Dead, dead, dead! I am going to _kill you,_ do you hear me? Ugh!" She tried to storm past him but slipped on the slick floor. Before Sasuke could catch her she righted herself, stuck out her tongue at him, and exited the bathroom.

Sasuke heard her muttering some extremely colorful words as she slammed the door to her room shut, and almost grinned.

* * *

_Rewritten_: 3/6/10.

I have a very shaky, inchoate plot planned out for this baby, so bear with me if sometimes things don't match up. Oh, and they never met at Orochimaru's lair in this story.

The SasuSaku-ness is going to take a decent amount of time progressing. As stated in the summary, Sasuke is going to begin to see Sakura as a mother, and even Sasuke's not screwed up enough to harbor romantic feelings toward a maternal figure. I think, anyway. I'll have to check on that. After that, I'm fairly confident that something bad is going to happen to Sakura (because Sasuke can never have anything easy in life) and Sasuke will have to help her through it (a reversal of roles). So, yeah. Don't expect passionate kissing scenes anytime soon--if ever, in all honestly. This story is more about their emotional, psychological relationship than their physical one.


	3. Chapter 3

**Everything Is Alright**

"So I was thinking," Sakura began as they walked the dusty streets of Konoha on their way to the hospital, "that I should get you a collar—you know, in case we ever get separated. I thought it could read: 'Uchiha Sasuke. Responds to _hey you _and _that broody guy_, will bite if provoked. If found, please return to the magnificently awesome Haruno Sakura.' What d'you think?"

"That's a great idea," Sasuke opined sarcastically, his hands stuffed typically in his pockets.

Sakura shrugged her shoulders, a smug expression evident on her face. "I am nothing if not full of brilliance."

"You're full of something, all right," Sasuke muttered, and casually caught her wrist when she half-heartedly tried to smack him upside the head. He eyed her. "And didn't you say you were going to kill me?"

"I'm biding my time," she informed him ominously, a wicked gleam in her eyes. He rolled his eyes. "Could I have my wrist back, now?"

He was mildly surprised to realize he was still gripping her right wrist lightly. He let go immediately and she used it to stifle a yawn as Sasuke watched her from the corner of his eye. "Are you always that out of it when you wake up?" he asked, referring to her zombie-like state a few hours previous.

She extracted a protein bar from her messenger-bag and bit into it. "Only in the past couple of months or so. I've been really busy, haven't gotten the chance to sleep much, I guess."

"The hospital's that busy?" he interrogated, a bit doubtful.

She took another bite. "It's not just the hospital." When he frowned, she specified. "I've been helping Tsunade-sama with some other stuff and training with a lot of people. …And helping Ino with the flower-shop, and going to Ichiraku with Naruto, and playing shougi with Shikamaru. I still get missions from time to time, as well. I'm an ambassador to Suna occasionally. Oh, and I have to go to the Hyuuga Compound once a week to check on Hiashi-sama; his health has been failing him recently. I teach some classes at the Academy, too."

Sasuke gave her a look. "That's ridiculous."

"You're ridiculous," she retorted easily, finishing off the last of the protein bar. Sasuke glared at her when she threw the wrapper at him.

--

The hospital was busy as usual, patients being directed every way and nurses bustling about. A young female nurse with brown hair hurried toward Sakura. When Sakura greeted her cordially the nurse broke off in the middle of Sakura's name when she caught sight of Sasuke, who had come to stand beside Sakura.

The nurse, whose name was Tomoyo, flushed crimson. No, no, dear God, no, Sasuke thought miserably. He had assumed girls would no longer admire him after he betrayed the village.

Sakura obviously noticed the younger girl's reaction, for she was grinning broadly. Sasuke glared at her fiercely, but she paid him no heed. "Tomoyo-san, this is Sasuke-kun. He's…going to be my personal assistant. Yeah."

Tomoyo smiled shyly. "It's nice to meet you, Sasuke-kun." She moved to shake his hand, but Sasuke backed away swiftly. Willing Sakura to move and cursing his inability to go anywhere without her, he gave a sharp pull to her arm.

She winced, so Sasuke softened his hold somewhat, but kept an insistent pressure.

She frowned reproachfully at him. "Tomoyo-san, did you need something?"

The brunette snapped out of her trance. "Oh! Shizune-senpai told me to tell you that she left the files you were looking for on your desk, Sakura-senpai. By the way, did you fill out the report I requested?"

Sakura gestured flippantly with her hand as Sasuke dragged her down the hall. "I'll get it to you tomorrow."

"You said that three days ago!"

"And I'm sure I meant it!" Sakura called over her shoulder as she was pulled around a corner. "Sasuke-kun, do you even know where you're going?"

That made Sasuke pause and release her arm. "…No."

She laughed lightly and poked his arm. "My office is this way. Come."

He scowled darkly at her. "I'm not your dog."

She nodded. "I agree. You'd be more like a donkey, really." She led him to a room somewhere on the seventh floor. It was moderately sized with white walls and a dark blue carpet—clearly the faculty offices differed from the rooms the patients were situated in. There was a black couch against the wall facing the door with a coffee table in front of it. On the opposite wall, near the door, was a large desk overflowing with papers. The rest of the space along the walls was taken up by bookshelves.

She motioned him vaguely towards the couch as she set her bag on the floor. "Sit there. I have a bunch of books you can read, or you can do that thing where you reenact the meaning of 'deep, silent contemplation' or whatever."

She took a seat at her desk and Sasuke grudgingly sat on the couch, twirling a kunai idly. It was in that manner they spent a good three hours punctuated only by Sakura occasionally pacing the room and mumbling to herself.

Eventually Sakura rose and ran a hand through her hair, sighing. She turned to her dark-haired companion. "I'm going to go make my rounds now. I assume you're staying here?"

He looked up briefly. "I'm allowed to?"

"Tsunade-sama told me you could vegetate here while I made my rounds," Sakura explained, adjusting her bag. Sasuke illustrated his intent by slouching further into the upholstery. Sakura watched him, bemused. "You are so predictable." He grunted.

Forty-five minutes later a knock sounded on the office door. Sasuke didn't say anything. It wasn't his office, so the task of greeting anyone who dropped by didn't fall to him.The door opened. "Saku—oh."

Hyuuga Neji regarded Sasuke coldly. "Where is Sakura?" Sasuke ignored him pointedly. Neji glared at him. "Listen, Uchiha, if you do anything to—"

"Neji?" Sakura brushed past him at the doorway and, Sasuke notice shrewdly, made it a point to stand between the two prodigies.

Neji's quickly lost all signs of his threatening aura and inclined his head formally. "Sakura. I heard about your hindrance," he said, referring to Sasuke.

Sakura frowned a bit at his wording, but sighed playfully. "You are such a gossip-addict, Neji. What am I going to do with you?"

"Actually, I was wondering if you could come to the compound today. Hiashi-sama developed a cough last night. It's nothing serious, but Hinata-sama is very worried."

Sakura nodded and glanced at the clock. "I can probably leave now. I have some paperwork to do, but that doesn't have to be done here."

"I'll escort you, in that case."

The corners of her mouth upturned slightly. "I'd like that. Ready to go, Sasuke-kun?"

The reclining genius pushed himself off the couch and ambled over to Sakura's side. She glanced at him and mouthed: _Don't provoke him._ Sasuke smirked, but otherwise didn't respond.

--

"I'm glad you're here, Sakura," Hinatagreeted when the three shinobi arrived at the Hyuuga Compound. "My father has developed a cough, and I fear he's having trouble breathing."

"No worries, Hinata," Sakura said reassuringly as the Hyuuga heiress led them to her father's room. "I'm sure he's going to be fine."

Hinata smiled, but it was a bit quivery. "I'm sure he will be too, if you're taking care of him."

Hinata knocked on a large door at the end of a long hallway. A voice sounded from within. "Enter." The voice was masculine and powerful, but it was diminished by a fit of coughing.

Hinata opened the door and led Sakura and Sasuke inside. Neji had parted ways with them at the main gate, informing Sakura that he had business with the Hokage. It made Sasuke wonder why he had bothered to walk with them in the first place.

The room was plain and traditional. Hyuuga Hiashi, head of the Hyuuga clan, sat on a tatami mat on the floor. He looked up and frowned slightly. "Hinata, I told you that I did not need a medic. You could have at least waited until Sakura was due to come in three days."

"It's better to be safe than sorry, Father," Hinata said firmly. Apparently she had grown a backbone while he had been away.

Hiashi sighed, and Sasuke noticed that his face had become lined and that his hair way graying. "I apologize for bothering you, Sakura," he addressed the young medic.

Sakura bowed slightly. "It's really not a bother, Hiashi-sama." She knelt beside him and began feeling his pulse. "By the way, Sasuke-kun is here with me today. He'll be with me for a while."

Hiashi nodded. "Yes, I heard about that." He looked directly at Sasuke. "I suggest you feel grateful. Sakura is a valuable medic, and having to tote you around must be a terrible burden for her." Sasuke frowned at him and averted his eyes.

"Why don't Sasuke-san and I go make tea while you're working, Sakura? Or does he have to stay in the same room as you?" Hinata offered softly.

Sakura bit her lip and appeared to contemplate it for a moment. "I don't see a problem with that," she said carefully, "as long as you don't leave the building. And tea would be lovely, thank you."

Hinata nodded. "Just come to the west wing tea room when you're done here." She inclined her head towards her father and walked towards the door. Sasuke only followed her grudgingly after Sakura made shooing gestures at him.

A young maid bowed to Hinata as they passed her in the hall, and Hinata smiled kindly at her. When the maid looked up, respect shone in her eyes before she walked quickly down the hall.

They arrived in a small kitchen adjoined to a tea room. "You can sit at the table, Sasuke-san," Hinata told him. "I'll make tea."

Sasuke ignored her offer and leaned against a wall. Hinata didn't comment on his taciturn behavior and busied herself setting a kettle on the stove.

She turned to face him when the water was boiling and spoke quietly, but clearly. "I would appreciate it if you would try not to trouble Sakura too much. I fear she has been overworking herself lately. She's the best medic in the village, aside from Tsunade-sama, you know," she said conversationally.

Sasuke didn't comment; he actually hadn't known. And what was with these people? It wasn't like he was _trying _to be a burden to her. He had never asked for this and would be perfectly happy if he didn't have to follow her everywhere—at least, as happy as Sasuke ever was.

"My family owes a lot to her. Two years ago, my father had a heart-attack while she was visiting me. If Sakura hadn't saved him, he would have…" she faltered and started fiddling with a teacup. "Yes, well, I'm just extremely grateful she was there. My sister, Hanabi, greatly admires her, and I think Neji-niisan does as well. What I'm trying to say is…"

The kettle started ringing, and she looked grateful to have an excuse to turn away from him. She worked silently for a few minutes, setting three cups down on the table and arranging a tray of light sweets.

With nothing else to do, she took a deep breath. "I don't really know what I'm trying to say. Just take care of her, okay? She'll work herself to death if given the option. At least…don't hurt her."

She frowned suddenly, grimness transforming her face. "She was a mess after you left. Naruto-kun could tell you more. I…"

Her eyes flickered to the doorway as Sakura walked in, running a hand through her hair. "He's going to be fine," she told Hinata.

The pale-eyed girl smiled in relief and gesticulated for Sakura to sit down. She did, sliding off her navy blue messenger-bag. "There's a special tea that he should be drinking for his cough—I'll write out the ingredients. I gave him something to help him sleep, which is what he's doing now. He wouldn't admit it, but I think his arthritis is acting up again, so nag him to keep applying that ointment, would you?"

Sakura noticed Sasuke leaning against the wall, his arms folded across his chest. She glanced at Hinata apologetically. "I'm sorry if Sasuke-kun has been being rude to you."

Hinata shook her head. "No, no." Whether she was saying Sasuke hadn't been rude or was telling Sakura not to apologize was indeterminable.

Sakura turned to Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun, could you sit down, please?"

"No." He would be damned if he sat down and played tea-party with them.

She sighed. "You are an insufferable brat sometimes, are you aware? Honestly."

Hinata giggled. "You act like his mother."

Sasuke twitched and Sakura smirked. "What a terrifying thought." They chatted for half an hour, discussing people and events, and after Sakura scrawled the tea ingredients on a piece of paper, they departed from the compound.

--

"You can go make yourself something to eat," she told Sasuke when they returned to the Uchiha Manor. "I have some stuff to do." She headed towards her room, already extracting many papers from her bag.

Sasuke shrugged and ambled towards the kitchen, assuming she'd eat later. Three hours later, however, it was ten o'clock, and he still hadn't heard her go to the kitchen.

He knocked on her door and entered without waiting for a reply. She was at her desk, writing something. She looked up at him wearily. "Yes?"

"You haven't eaten," he told her flatly.

She shrugged. "I'll eat later. I'm busy."

"Too busy to eat?" He was beginning to see why Hinata worried about Sakura overworking herself.

She glared at him, obviously irritable from exhaustion. "I'll eat later," she snapped, and opened a large book abruptly.

Sasuke frowned at her and left the room.Half an hourlater, however, he slammed a plate of rice-balls down on her desk, scattering a few loose papers. "Eat," he ordered.

Clearly surprised, she stared up at him. "You…"

"Are telling you to eat," he finished for her, and frowned disapprovingly at her. "Hinata said you overwork yourself."

"I do not!" Sakura disagreed, indignant.

He sneered condescendingly at her. "Right." He shoved the plate toward her. "Eat."

She glared at him a moment longer before capitulating. "Fine," she sighed. "Thank you."

For the first time Sasuke noticed the light, subtleshadows under her eyes. He waited until she had eaten a rice-ball before announcing his departure. "I'm going to bed—you should too."

"I still have work to do."

"Whatever." He wasn't concerned enough to force her to go to sleep. Sakura was a big girl now; she could dictate her own bedtime. He should get a load of karmic brownie points just for making her food.

"Goodnight, Sasuke-kun."

"Yeah." Sasuke left and closed her door, but stayed outside her room a moment longer, something akin to worry haunting his breathtaking features.

* * *

Sasuke can cook. Yum. (Take that at face-value)

No, Hinata does not stutter in this fic. Not usually, anyway. She's nineteen and I decided that she would have grown a backbone. Besides, making the little - marks for stuttering is a lot of work...

So, yeah. In case you're one of those people that doesn't notice something unless you're bashed over the head with it (like me), Neji is interested in Sakura romantically. No, this will not be NejiSaku, which I used to like but now find vaguely icky. I'm just using it to add a little tension. And let's face it, we all love to see Sasuke get jealous. Do not deny it, I know all. Boo-rah.

Duuuuuuuude, I really hope Itachi just dies. What would be really awesome is if Sakura came and found Sasuke after he collapsed, but I'm not going to get my hopes up. Does anyone think SasuSaku will still happen in the manga? It _kills me_ to admit it, but NaruSaku is looking more likely at this point (yuck yuck yuck yuck icky icky icky _eew_). Opinions?


	4. Chapter 4

**Everything Is Alright**

Naruto, perching on a rooftop, watched as Sakura and Sasuke walked down the street. Sakura was leading slightly, but she was turned back to face her dark-haired companion, speaking animatedly and occasionally gesticulating with her hands.

Sasuke walked slowly, but his long legs enabled him to easily keep pace with Sakura's quicker strides. His hands were, predictably, hidden in his pocket, and his expression was set on his default of impassive. Naruto could tell he was listening, however, because his black eyes would occasionally flicker to Sakura's face, and because when Sakura finished speaking, he answered shortly in his undoubtedly dispassionate manner.

Sakura stuck her tongue out at him but didn't seem irritated in the slightest. Her hair was back in a messy bun. A few strands that were too short hung around her face, framing it delicately. Her eyes were bright, but Naruto's trained eye could still catch the circles haunting the skin under her eyes. Still, she looked happy.

His mind made up, Naruto leaped down from his vantage point and landed about ten feet in front of them. Grinning perkily, he waved. "Oi, Sakura-chan, Sasuke."

Smiling instantly, Sakura bounced forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Naruto! You're back from your mission already?"

"Yep, it was easier than expected," he shrugged, before turning to Sasuke, who had come to stand a bit behind Sakura. "Hey, bastard. I haven't seen you since I dragged you back to the village."

Sasuke sneered at him. "Haven't you gotten tired of that stupid orange jacket yet? It's obscene."

Naruto snorted. "What's obscene is the fact that there seems to be an even bigger stick up your ass than there was before."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "While you two sharpen your admittedly lacking wits on one another, I need to go to the flower shop. Naruto, will you watch Sasuke-kun, please? It'll take me about twenty minutes."

"Of course I'll baby-sit the bastard for you, Sakura-chan," Naruto told her generously. "We'll meet you at the ramen stand, yeah?"

Sakura sighed. "You really need to expand your dietary horizons." She agreed to meet them there, regardless.

When Sakura was out of sight, Naruto turned to Sasuke and said seriously, "We need to talk."

Sasuke regarded him indifferently. "We already are."

Naruto ignored him. "Listen, I'm going to make this simple. If you upset Sakura-chan, I will put your head through a wall—any wall, you can pick the wall, but it _will _be a wall, got it?"

Sasuke appeared frustrated. "Why does everyone assume I'm going to hurt her?"

Naruto glared at him coldly. "Your past speaks for itself, Sasuke." His expression brightened. "Anyway, let's go. I think the old man's running low on miso, and I want to have at least three bowls." He sprinted off towards Ichiraku. Sasuke followed reluctantly.

* * *

Sasuke was picking idly at a bowl of ramen when Sakura approached them, her eyes narrowed and her mouth turned down. A vase of tiger lilies was cradled to her chest.

Naruto seemed to notice her depressed demeanor as well. "Hey, Sakura-chan, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

Sakura sat between the two boys and ordered quietly, before sighing and turning to Naruto. "Ino told me that my mother came to the shop earlier today; Ino mentioned that I was coming to pick up some flowers, so my mother left a message with her…I have to eat dinner with my parents tonight." Her voice was resigned, her nose wrinkled with distaste.

Naruto winced sympathetically. "Jeez, tough break, Sakura-chan. Is there anything _we_," he looked pointedly at Sasuke, "can do?"

Sakura unwound the elastic securing her bun and began fiddling with it. "Could you take Sasuke-kun with you tonight? I don't want to subject him to the torture of spending an evening with my mother."

Naruto grimaced immediately. "I'm so sorry, Sakura-chan; I have a mission briefing tonight, and then Hinata-chan's father wants to speak with me." He gulped nervously, obviously intimidated by the imposing Hyuuga patriarch.

Sakura sighed. "That's alright, Naruto. I guess Sasuke-kun will just have to come." She looked at the thus-far silent boy on her left. "Is that okay with you?"

"Once again, no choice," Sasuke said monotonously.

"And once again, I'm being polite. It's a concept you might want to learn sometime."

* * *

Sasuke was sitting on his bed when a knock sounded at his door. He grunted, and the door swung open to reveal Sakura. She was dressed in a long white skirt and pale pink tank top. On her feet were black ballet flats; her hair hung straight and smooth around her face. Two small emeralds were embedded in her ears, and she was wearing a delicate silver necklace with a matching bracelet.

She looked…elegant. Almost-pretty.

"Come on, Sasuke-kun. It would be terrible if we were late for our doom."

Sasuke got to his feet. "You feeling okay?" he inquired cautiously. She looked a bit sick.

She offered him a strained smile. "I'm fine. It's just…I haven't seen my mother in a few months, and our last encounter didn't really end well. My mother has been known to hold a grudge."

Sasuke relaxed, his concern sated now that he knew it was something so trivial—in his mind, at least.

She led him out of the house and walked for a good deal of time until they reached a large, secluded house near the outskirts of the village. It was three stories tall and stark white, with light green shutters. The front lawn was unbelievably green and cut meticulously. The pathway was lined artfully with pansies, and Sasuke could vaguely see a lush garden behind the house and hear a stream gurgling.

"My mother is a landscape designer," Sakura said in response to Sasuke's inquiring look. "She designed the entire yard. It's one of the reasons we moved to Konoha from the city; bigger yards."

Sasuke had never known she had lived in the city. It seemed to be turning out that there was a lot he didn't know about her. He wasn't sure he liked that.

Sakura opened the gleaming gate and stepped onto the pathway, looking for all the world like a convict heading towards the electric chair. She stopped on the door-step and didn't move to ring the doorbell.

Sasuke waited a while before prodding her arm. "Hey."

She glanced at him dully. "I changed my mind. I can't go in there."

"You can."

She shook her head vehemently, growing more agitated by the second. "No, I can't; Sasuke-kun, this is the point in the horror movie when the entire audience is screaming 'Don't go in there!'"

"You're being dramatic," he informed her, and tapped his knuckles to her forehead lightly. "It'll be fine."

She bit her lip, but appeared a bit reassured. "Fine, but if my mother throws her knife across the table at me, I expect you to shield me," she warned him.

He smirked at her, but before her raised hand could press the doorbell, the door burst open. A tall, striking woman stood before them, holding a platter of small finger sandwiches. "You're late!" she snapped.

Sakura's hand darted out and grabbed a sandwich, which she munched on while her mother went off on a tirade about promptness and _if you're going to eat outside like an animal, you may as well go find a gazelle to hunt! _Then she promptly slammed the door.

As if she were calmed down by her mother's anger, Sakura finished the sandwich slowly and turned to Sasuke. "What are the odds of finding a gazelle around here?" she asked mildly.

"Slim to none," he answered her seriously.

She straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath. "Let's go." This time she didn't bother to attempt to ring the doorbell and entered quickly.

Sasuke followed her into the house. It was furnished simply and tastefully, but it put Sasuke a bit ill at ease. Everything seemed to be a different shade of white.

"Just so you know, this house is really easy to get lost in, so if we ever get separated, just stick close to the wall. You'll either find your way out eventually or get eaten by a Minotaur."

"You're very helpful," he said dryly. Nonetheless, he kept a loose grip on her upper arm. He wasn't worried about himself, but trying to find her would be irritating.

"I guess we can just wander around until we get called for dinner," Sakura mused. Her eyes moved to a staircase, which she tugged Sasuke towards.

Three-fourths of the way up the stairs she tripped on her long skirt and plummeted backwards. Sasuke, right behind her, caught her easily and simply carried her up the few remaining steps. He set her down a good distance away from the staircase as a precaution.

Sakura blinked at him, a bit dazed. "…_Wow _that was scary. Thanks, Sasuke-kun."

"Yeah." He looked around; she hadn't been kidding when she said the house was easy to get lost in. It was built like a maze.

Sakura was looking around as well. "I always hated this place," she murmured softly, and Sasuke was unsure whether he was meant to hear it. She perked up slightly when she saw a particular door. She took his hand. "C'mon, I want to show you something."

Sasuke allowed her to pull him into a large room occupied only by a grand piano. One wall was missing, replaced by a huge window overlooking the garden, which seemed to be bursting with every type of flower imaginable. Sasuke's ears had not deceived him when they'd been outside the house; a small stream wound throughout the garden.

"The piano used to be my dad's, but he never plays it anymore because of the arthritis in his fingers," she told him quietly as she played with her bracelet, gazing out the window at the sun setting on the horizon. "My mother didn't want me to become a ninja, so we argued a lot. I used to come here whenever I was upset; for a couple of years, if I wasn't at the Academy, I was in here. I'd lock myself in here for hours, all alone." She smiled slightly. "I actually taught myself how to play. I'm not sure if I still can anymore." Sakura glanced doubtfully at the dusty piano.

"Try," Sasuke urged impulsively, gently. He surprised himself and didn't know whether to regret it or not.

Her expression told him she was indecisive, but after a moment she walked slowly towards the piano and sat down at the stool, motioning for him to sit beside her. He hesitated briefly before lowering himself to the stool gingerly.

She blew the dust off before opening the piano, revealing pristine ebony and ivory keys. Sakura exhaled slowly and began to play. It was a soft, melancholy tune—vaguely nostalgic to Sasuke, which puzzled him. Her fingers fumbled sporadically due to the long period of time she had spent without playing, but she got the hang of it near the end of the song, and the last not hung in the air, seeming to vibrate throughout the entire room, ricocheting off Sasuke's ribcage.

Sakura stared at her fingers lingering on the keys for a moment before she smiled brilliantly at Sasuke. "I forgot how relaxing this was."

One of the corners of Sasuke's mouth upturned slightly, briefly. Sakura's smiled widened before she stood, smoothing out her skirt. "Come on, then; dinner's probably ready."

He nodded and followed her out of the room.

* * *

"Hi, Dad," Sakura greeted a middle-aged man sitting at what Sasuke assumed was the dining room table. His light brown hair was thinning a bit on top and his face was buried in a large book. Sasuke could see where Sakura's literary taste came from.

"Ah, Sakura, hello," the man said distantly. "You look lovely."

Sakura rolled her eyes and took a seat while motioning for Sasuke to sit across from her. "You have to say that, you're my father."

"Actually, I'm not. I've been looking for the right time to tell you." Apparently he was her source of wit as well.

Sakura sneered at him good-naturedly. "Dad, this is Sasuke-kun. Sasuke-kun, this is my father, Haruno Shigure."

Her father glanced up briefly. His face was pale and lined, but intelligent green eyes regarded Sasuke thoughtfully. "It's nice to meet you, Sasuke. I always told Sakura she needed a guard dog since she started living alone. I assume you've been house-trained?"

Sakura nodded seriously. "Yeah, he has—I was surprised. _And _he knows a bunch of cool tricks; show him the one where you do that really scary glare and you look like you're contemplating either murder or brutal maiming."

Sasuke simply gave her a look, less irritated that he thought he should be. Sakura grinned at him, and Sasuke gathered that she got along better with her father than her mother.

Sakura's mother entered the room holding a large platter of covered food. "Well," she said briskly, "I believe we can begin to eat."

"It looks great, Mom," Sakura complimented.

Her mother smiled thinly. "Thank you, Sakura, but the food is still covered, so your obviously-rehearsed comment isn't quite appropriate at the moment--unless, along with learning to kill people, you learned how to see through objects at the ninja academy as well. Is that the case?"

Sakura opened her mouth to throw back a doubtlessly sharp retort when her father intervened. "Sakura, did I hear you on the piano earlier?"

Sakura blinked and ducked her head. "Oh, yeah."

Her mother sniffed. "That piano has been sitting there for at least a year, gathering dust with the rest of your potential."

The evening went downhill after that.

* * *

"I hate her!" Sakura raved as she stormed away from her parents' house. "I _despise _her—and I'm using the true meaning of the word, both to dislike and look upon with contempt!"

Sasuke trailed after her calmly. He had decided it would be better to let her rant for as long as she need, lest she turn her anger towards _him. _

Sakura proceeded to go into a very detailed, hideously lengthy, and occasionally side-tracked list of all her mother's faults, ending with: "And she just doesn't _listen _to me!" she exclaimed. "I mean, I open my mouth, I can tell it's moving, I feel the words forming on my lips, but _it never gets through to her_. Honestly, she's incorrigible!"

She looked at him, clearly expecting him to chime in. Sasuke made a noise in the back of his throat that he hoped would be taken as agreement.

He couldn't tell whether that's what she took it to be or not when she sighed and faced him. "I'm really sorry you had to go through that, Sasuke-kun," she told him earnestly, her voice regretful and apologetic.

He shrugged. "Whatever." She continued to look at him mournfully. "It's fine," he insisted. "I don't care."

Sakura gave him a look laced with doubt before turning around and beginning to walk again. "It must be nice to not care about anything," she mused out loud, and Sasuke felt a pang of what might have been regret or guilt or maybe just a bit of sadness.

* * *

That night while he was drifting to sleep, he realized why the song Sakura played had sounded familiar: his mother had used to hum it as a lullaby.

* * *

...I don't really like this chapter. I kind of ran out of inspiration somewhere in the middle, so it's really abrupt and stupid and filler-y. The piano is important, though. So is Sakura's relationshilp with her parents. Yeah.

In case you were confused (you probably were; I haven't explained this very well in the actual story and therefore have to resort to the cheater's method of clearing things up in author's notes; how pathetic), Naruto found Sasuke after he killed Itachi and brought him back to the village, but then he had to go on a mission like, right after that. I don't really get it either. Ah well.

I don't think I've mentioned it before, but the title is inspired by the song "Everything Is Alright" by Motion City Soundtrack. Listen to it, you hear? There's a pretty cool Ouran AMV to it that you can look up on youtube if you like Ouran. Not sure about any Naruto ones.

By the way, I am totally opposed to alcohol, so there will be no mentions of drinking it in this fic, aside from Tsunade, for obvious reasons. Just because you're old enough to drink it doesn't mean you should. ALCOHOL IS BAD.

I've already started the next chapter, which is rare--be impressed, be very impressed. And I'm sorry about the suckishness of this chapter, guys, really. I'll do better next time--I think. I don't really love what I've written so far of it. Erm...

Thank you for wonderful reviews--I got some pretty lengthy ones, which made me happy. And yes, I am making this author's note ridiculously long to make the chapter seem longer. What was your first clue?


	5. Chapter 5

**Everything Is Alright**

"Hey, Sasuke-kun, wake up."

Sasuke, true to his stubbornly contrary nature, turned away from the voice on his left to face his wall as he pulled the blankets over his head—

Which were promptly torn out of his grasp (not literally torn, he hoped) and thrown to the floor. "Sasuke-kun, come on. Wakey wakey, Sasu-chan."

Sasuke growled and held a pillow over his head. Go away, go away, go _away—_

"Sasuke-kun, _please. _If you do not get up this instant, I swear I will drag you to the training grounds myself," she cautioned, her voice ominously serious.

"Training grounds?" he asked grumpily, he voice muffled by the sleeping apparatus covering his head.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"I can't sleep."

"Can't imagine that feeling," Sasuke said pointedly, gradually becoming conscious.

A thin arm looped around his waist and literally dragged him out of the bed. His normally-quick reflexes were dulled by sleep, but he still managed to land on his feet. He glared at her. "Fuck you."

She grinned at him. "I'll meet you outside in five minutes." And then she was gone.

"So why the hell are we going to the training grounds?" Sasuke grumbled, scowling. It was 2 AM and they were walking the deserted streets of Konoha to the training area.

She shrugged and gestured vaguely. "I finished all my paperwork, but I couldn't sleep, and there was no point just lying in bed. So…" she shrugged again, which seemed to be a habit of hers.

Sasuke made a noise that could have been taken for either skepticism or irritation—in actuality, it was both.

In fifteen minutes they reached the place where they had trained as Genin. It had not changed at all, leaving Sasuke with the uneasy feeling of traveling back in time, back to when they were children.

But, no, Sasuke thought, looking at Sakura, she was not the irascible, obsequious child he had known anymore. She was still young, her hair was still unusual and her eyes were still bright, but she was…she was independent now, he decided, and mature. From what he had gathered, she was a virago in Konoha, someone respected and admired. He had to grudgingly admit that he could understand why: she was accomplished, personable, and overflowing with vitality, confidence and charm. Of course, he would never tell her any of this.

The object of his attention was looking at him as well. "Wanna spar?" she offered.

Sasuke hesitated before nodding cautiously. "Just taijutsu," he told her.

"Okay," she agreed easily.

* * *

Sakura had definitely improved, Sasuke thought, from when she was a Genin. Of course, that wasn't saying a whole lot, but the improvement was drastic. Sasuke was _fast_, but Sakura was small and quick and she seemed to use the least amount of energy possible to narrowly avoid his blows. She was very good at dodging, lissome as she was, but Sasuke was fast enough to strike her a few times.

She took it in stride, not crying out and ending the match as Sasuke had expected her to. She managed to punch him once; it only nicked his shoulder, but it hurt like hell. Sasuke had heard that she enhanced her blows with chakra. Her slender arms belied her extraordinary strength.

Still, that was the only time, as Sasuke was careful from then on to avoid her hands and feet. It appeared she was more defensive than offensive.

Eventually he pinned her to the ground and gripped her wrists in one large pale hand while he used the other to keep her on the ground, for he was wary or resting too much of his weight on her small body.

Because Sakura's face was pressed to the ground, her voice was muted and muffled. "Alright, I get it. You win. Gerroff, you fat jerk."

Sasuke smirked at her, more amused than annoyed. "That's not very nice." He released her, regardless.

Sakura pushed herself up into a sitting position and sneered half-heartedly at him. "Behold, the king of hypocrisy. Anyway, what time is it, do you think?"

Sasuke made a few quick calculations. "Around six," he informed her.

She digested the information. "Okay. If we go back now and shower quickly, we'd have time to stop at a café Hinata told me about before I have to go to work. Is that alright with you?"

"Whatever."

"Jeez, Sasuke-kun," Sakura sighed. "Have an actual opinion once in a while, they're free."

"You're opinionated enough to compensate for my apparent lack of opinions," Sasuke informed her as they opted to take to the trees, shinobi-style, as their method of getting home.

Sakura gasped in mock surprise. "I do believe that was an opinion! Wow, I _am _a positive influence on you—I'm so proud of myself! I will now officially award myself a metaphorical gold star. Would you like one too?" she asked politely as she mimed offering him a sticker.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and declined her offer not quite as politely.

Soon they were back at the Uchiha Manor. Both of their rooms were equipped with respective bathrooms, so they were both ready to leave an hour later. (Sakura was actually ready ten minutes before he was ready, which amused her to no end. "You are so _prissy_," she had teased, standing as tall as she could to intentionally muss his naturally unruly hair.)

Sasuke was wearing black pants and a navy blue shirt. This was unsurprising, as his wardrobe consisted entirely of blue, black, and gray. He was the epitome of boring, which seemed to suit him just fine.

Sakura had slipped into dark gray leggings and a loose, forest green dress. Her damp hair was down, but Sasuke noticed she kept a black elastic hair tie around her wrist almost constantly, even when her hair was already being held up with another one. Her navy blue messenger bag was slung casually over her shoulder.

She assessed his attire critically when he appeared, but didn't comment, which he was grateful for. "Come on, Sasuke-kun," she said instead as she headed out.

Sasuke followed her and mused on just where exactly his dignity had gone.

* * *

The café was small and comparatively new, but it was already around three-fourths full, even considering the early hour. A waitress ushered them to a table in a secluded corner and promptly took their orders. Sakura asked for two blueberry muffins and green tea, while Sasuke ordered an omelet and coffee.

When the waitress left, Sakura asked Sasuke in concern, "Are you feeling okay? You look pale…at least, more so than usual."

Sasuke had actually felt a bit ill during their sparring session, but he denied it. "I feel fine."

Sakura accepted his curt statement with a nod. "Okay, just tell me if you do feel sick, yeah? There's a nasty bug going around."

Sasuke shrugged and asked her something that had been bothering him. "Why is your fighting style centered so strongly on defense?"

Sakura blinked at him, thrown by his willingness to actually instigate a conversation. "On a mission it would be my duty to stay back and defend myself while my comrades handled the main part of the fighting. Someone needs to heal them."

Sasuke nodded, accepting her answer as logical. "When did you become Tsunade's apprentice?"

She eyed him quizzically before answering. "Not long after you left," she told him, not seeming uncomfortable with the subject of his betrayal.

"Why?"

She was thoughtful for a minute. "I guess…I guess I just needed to do something worthwhile, you know? Team Seven was disbanded, Kakashi-sensei got reinstated with ANBU, and Naruto left with Jiraiya-sama. It's not like I was going to get anywhere training by myself."

Sasuke frowned. He hadn't known that Naruto had left with Jiraiya, leaving Sakura alone. He had always assumed that they would have each other. Apparently not.

"When did you move out of you parents' house?"

She smiled slightly. "My eighteenth birthday—the day I could legally live by myself."

He didn't ask why; he had gotten a good clue last night how she felt about her mother. "What rank are you?"

"I'm a Jounin. What's up with all these questions?" she queried suspiciously, put on guard by his uncharacteristic curiosity.

Sasuke didn't answer, as their food had just arrived. The truth was that having nothing to do all day gave you not much else to do but think about things, and he had realized that he really didn't know much about Sakura. The notion vaguely irritated him. She had satisfied his questions for now at least.

They ate in silence after that. Sasuke's curiosity was sated and Sakura seemed content with quiet.

Sakura reached for the check when it was delivered, but Sasuke grabbed it before she could. She stared at him, confused. "I've got it," he muttered.

Sakura agreed easily enough. "Alright," she complied. "Thanks."

* * *

When they arrived at the hospital, Sakura soon began her rounds after depositing Sasuke off in her office. Sasuke, disconcertingly weary, reclined on the couch. It was improbable that his spar with Sakura left him this devoid of energy. Maybe he really was sick…

Which was stupid. He was an Uchiha—Uchiha Sasuke. He did not do anything as menial as getting sick.

About half an hour later, however…

He head felt funny. Foggy. He was having trouble breathing through his nose, and had to take raspy, harsh breaths through his mouth. Sasuke was skilled at the art of self-denial, but he wasn't stupid. He was sick.

Where was Sakura? Her rounds were taking uncommonly long…

It was then that Sakura stepped through the door, running her hand through her hair in irritation and exasperation.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun," she greeted dejectedly, not looking at him as she pored over a paper. "Jeez, everyone's been getting sick all of a sudden. It's so—"

She stopped abruptly when she caught sight of him. Her eyebrows rose minutely before she sighed. "You're sick."

"Quick on the uptake, aren't you?" Sasuke intoned thickly, which instigated a relatively violent coughing fit. God, he couldn't even _remember _the last time he had been sick…

"That'll teach you not to make sarcastic comments," Sakura told him smugly as she knelt by the couch and brushed his bangs out of his eyes so she could feel his forehead. After a moment she removed her hand and pursed her lips. "You're burning up. Crap. Um…"

Her eyes flickered in indecision before she sighed again and started grabbing items papers and folders off her desk and cramming them into her bag. "I'll have to take off early and get you to bed," she murmured distantly.

Sasuke looked at the clock on her desk. It was just a bit past noon. "You'd be leaving at least seven hours early," he said, his brow furrowed.

She shrugged. "You're sick, Sasuke-kun. You're sick and you're infecting my couch. I like my couch and I don't want your germs all over it. Therefore, I'm taking you back."

She opened the door and glanced expectantly at him. "Get up, you're not that sick." She frowned in concern. "Are you? I don't want to have to drag you back…"

"Your concern is touching," Sasuke informed her dryly, and got to his feet gradually.

The room spun for a moment and Sasuke lurched unsteadily. His head hurt like _hell. _

Sakura tried to lay a hand on his shoulder but he jerked away from her violently. "Don't touch me," he spat, the throbbing pain in his head making him edgy and ill-tempered--at least, more so than he already was.

Sakura looked startled, and maybe…hurt? Her expression quickly glazed over into neutral, however, and her hand, which had been raised, fell stiffly to her side. "Let's go, then," she said; her voice was cool and indifferent. She walked out.

Sasuke knew immediately that he had offended her, but didn't know how to rectify the situation. He wasn't one to go handing out apologies easily.

When he didn't follow her out the door she came back in, irritated and impatient. "Well?"

Sasuke stuffed one of his hands in his pocket but left the other hanging limply by his side. It was a clear invitation—in Sasuke's mind, at least.

Sakura continued to frown at him for a good minute, but she was an intelligent girl, and comparatively quickly grasped what he couldn't put into words.

She cautiously slid her hand into his larger one, and when he didn't resist, gripped it lightly. Sasuke followed her obligingly out of the hospital, his eyes resting in a steadfast manner on their linked hands.

* * *

Huh. Unsure about this one. Definetely not my favorite, but I don't necessarily dislike it.

I got a bunch of comments on the parallels in the last chapter with Gilmore girls. (cringe) See, I was in a state of nostlgia because GG has been canceled/ended whatever, so I vented a bit there in an attempt to appease myself. Don't worry, however; most--keyword being _most_--of this story is going to form entirely in the deep recesses of my mind (yes, that's right, be afraid), and Sakura will not turn into Lorelai (AS FRICKING AWESOME AS THAT WOULD BE--haha, I can SO see Sasuke wearing a backwards baseball cap and a flannel shirt and working in the diner...ha...).

Um. Anyway...just a heads up, but the next chapter is most likely going to contain some angst and stuff--you know, Sasuke and all his emotional baggage--(read as: emotional crap). There will also be SasuSaku bonding-ish kinda, and no, not in a dirty way, thanksabunch. About that, though: how...um..._graphic _do you guys want this? I will inform you now that there will be no sex scenes, and nothing even really close. As I said in an earlier chapter, this is more about their psychological relationship, so they will not be randomly kissing the crap out of each other in every chapter (move on with your life). Other than that, your opinions may or may not influence me. And, like everything, it depends on my moody--I am a very moody person. You have been warned.

Uh...huzzah?


	6. Chapter 6

**Everything Is Alright**

Sakura didn't hover as Sasuke had expected her to. She led him to his bed and ordered him to swallow two small pills she handed him. After Sasuke complied, she made short work of placing on his bedside table everything she thought he might need: water, tissues, and cough drops. "Tell me if you need anything else," she bade him before leaving him alone. Sasuke could just hear her soft footsteps in the hallway as she stepped lightly to her room.

Sasuke had a suspicion that she was still upset by what he had said at the hospital. From the moment she had released his hand when they returned back, she had been very careful to avoid physical contact, and when it couldn't be avoided, it was always brisk and impersonal. It made him feel…alienated. It was almost ironic that he was feeling so disconcerted because she was doing precisely what he told her to do.

Restless and uncomfortable, Sasuke shifted constantly for a good hour before he fell into a tense, uneasy sleep. He dreamt of Itachi and Orochimaru and Kabuto and his father and his mother and blood and shadows and tears and screams and redredred eyes.

He saw his parents dying and Orochimaru laughing and Itachi poking his forehead and Kabuto sneering. He saw himself, covered in blood and palepalepale, ramming his Chidori through Itachi's stomach. He saw Itachi's eyes go glassy, saw his lips upturn, and saw him collapse. He saw his parents lying lifeless on the floor.

He saw his brother pluck out his eyes (but it didn't happen it didn't happen it _didn't happen_--).

He saw generations of Uchiha stealing the eyes of their brothers (but it did happen it did happen it _did _happen--).

He saw Orochimaru leaning over him, as he had once before, a long time ago. He saw the reptilian man morph into Sasuke's mother. He saw her smile at him; he saw her hair spill over her shoulder.

Sasuke made a wild, desperate grab at her, and ended up with a fistful of her silky hair. (mommommom--) She was here, she was alive, she was okay—

"Sasuke-kun." Sakura's voice, soft and clear and lilting, dissipated his fitful dreams. He woke instantly to find himself sitting up in his bed with a very tight, and what looked to be a very painful hold on Sakura's hair.

Crushing disappointment and an almost giddy sense of relief at the sight of her swept through him all at once, making his stomach lurch and the tightness in his chest ease up.

Sakura used both of her hands to gently disentangle his larger hand from her hair and brought it down to her lap, where she held it lightly. "Sasuke-kun…I heard you moving around from my room. You were…" she looked away and started tracing patterns on his palm distractedly. "Are you okay?"

No, he wanted to say, _nononononever—_but when he looked at her eyes, clear and expressive and concerned, he thought—maybe. Maybe someday, he could be—okay. Someday. Someday, maybe.

He shrugged and watched her slim fingers skim over his hand, tickling slightly. She bit her lip. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked hesitantly.

A question he knew the definite answer to. "No."

She smiled; one end of her mouth was quirked up farther than the other, as if she were reluctant. "Yes, I thought so." She let go of his hand and stood up from where she had knelt by his bed. "Just…if…" Sakura closed her eyes and took a deep breath before looking at him again. "I hope you feel better, Sasuke-kun," she said warmly, sincerely.

Sasuke hoped he would too, for her sake if nothing else.

Over the next few days Sasuke gradually got better, and Sakura's quiet, attentive way of caring for him never faltered. Sasuke would often find himself preoccupied in the maternal way she checked his temperature and the pleased look she would wear when his temperature went down. Sasuke found he could sleep just a bit easier, knowing she was taking care of him.

--

Sakura's eyes, Sasuke decided, were not the plain, average green he had thought they were. They were more washed out; a softer, more faded green. Occasionally they would flicker, and, almost like holograms, would display other shades of green, and sometimes gray. Still, her eyes were green—the simple, clear truth gave him an odd sense of calmness.

When he compared her to the other young women they passed on the street, Sakura was noticeably different. She rarely wore jewelry and if she wore makeup, Sasuke couldn't see it. Whenever she put her hair up it was sloppy, as if she couldn't take the time to smooth it. Her clothes were obviously chosen for comfort, practicality, and ease of move. Today she was wearing baggy black pants and a loose maroon shirt. The excess of material only served to emphasize how thin she was—a bit too thin, Sasuke thought. Her habit of skipping meals in order to get work done irritated him to no end.

A lot of her work-related habits irritated him, actually. For example, the way she would work herself past the point of exhaustion. The way she would try to hide aforementioned exhaustion. The way she would frequently fall asleep at her desk.

Sasuke had, in the past three weeks, become accustomed to checking Sakura's room before he went to sleep, because a good deal of the time he would find her slumped over her desk, sleeping deeply. He would then proceed to gather her in his arms and lay her in her bed. (Sakura slept very deeply; not once had she woken up while he did this.)

He also realized that he wasn't the only one who noticed. When she taught at the Academy, Iruka would comment on how pale she was. When she went to the Hyuuga Compound, Hinata would point out the circles under her eyes. When she played shougi with Shikamaru, he would tell her flatly that she was overworking herself. When she would help out at the Yamanaka Flower Shop, Ino would jokingly tell her how horrible she looked and _you need to get more beauty sleep, you know? _Naruto would flat-out tell her she looked like crap (and would be rewarded by a solid punch to the face).

It appeased the young Uchiha slightly to know that he wasn't the only one fighting the seemingly downhill battle to keep Sakura healthy. It also sparked a bit of curiosity for him to realize just how many people cared about her.

One person's care for her, however, Sasuke did not appreciate. This person was Hyuuga Neji, the person who had taken to coming to talk to Sakura almost every day. He would lean against the wall by her desk in her office and coolly ignore Sasuke, his attention focused on the young medic at the desk.

At the beginning Sakura would try to draw Sasuke into the conversations as well, aware of how rude it was to exclude him. However, Sasuke obstinately refused to speak to Neji more than absolutely necessary, and the pale-eyed boy didn't exactly have any burning desire to talk to him either.

So Neji and Sakura would talk and Sasuke would brood. Sasuke noticed that Neji always approached her with the pretense of having a question to ask her. Sasuke thought it was pathetic and obvious, but if Sakura noticed as well, she never gave any indication.

After Neji left that day, Sasuke stopped brooding about him and resumed brooding about how thin Sakura was. Her tendency to neglect her own health (while nurturing everyone else's, including Sasuke's own) was going to be the death of her.

And, inevitably, Sasuke mused, he would be blamed. Something along the lines of how he was living with her and should have taken better care of her would be thrown at him, and then he could quite possibly end up in the Konoha Prison, which is where he would have been, had not the situation with Sakura been arranged.

His mind made up, Sasuke got to his feet and ambled to the door. Sakura looked up from where she had been poring over a large book when she heard the door open and frowned questionably at him.

"I won't leave the building," he reassured her.

She deliberated, but when she glanced back at him, her eyes shone with trust. A feeling bubbled somewhere in Sasuke's chest, but he ignored it pointedly. "Okay, Sasuke-kun. But remember: don't talk to strangers."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You're an idiot," he informed her dryly, but one might have heard and undertone of fondness in his voice had one listened closely.

Sakura laughed and waved him out the door, already turning back to her book.

--

When Sasuke returned fifteen minutes later, he shoved a pack of crackers and an apple at her. Sakura eyed him. "Uh, Sasuke-kun…"

"You didn't eat breakfast this morning," he said mildly. She flushed, and he smirked. Only Sasuke's threat of another cold water-wakeup could get her out of bed that morning, but she was still sluggish and had to rush out the door in order to be on time.

Sakura was about to retort when her eyes widened. She stared at him, gaping, and Sasuke shifted in annoyance. "What?"

Sakura stood up and reached as high as she could to place her hand on top of his head. Running her fingers through his hair probingly, she frowned in distress. Lowering her hand, she took a breath.

Sasuke's patience grew thin. "_What_, Sakura?"

"Sasuke-kun…I…I don't know how to tell you this, but…" she looked away.

A moment later: "Your hairline is receding."

A long, pregnant paused.

"…What?" Sasuke asked blankly.

Sakura dissolved into manic laughter and had to clutch the front of Sasuke's shirt to keep herself upright. "You…should…have seen…your…_face!_" she gasped, choking on her own laughter.

Sasuke was, admittedly, less amused. He scowled at her but allowed her to continue to cling to his shirt. "You are the stupidest, most flippantly frivolous, _ridiculous _person I have ever met," he said frankly.

Sakura collected herself and relinquished his shirt. "That's a term of endearment, right?" she asked cheekily.

"Shut up, Sakura. Just shut up and eat your food."

"Oh, Sasuke-kun, you _do _care!"

"Eat it, Sakura. I'm warning you."

"Sasuke-kun, Sasuke-kun, you really should—MMPH."

"Serves you right."

"…You're dead, Uchiha. You are twice as dead as you were before. In fact, you are so dead that you were dead three million years ago, so not only are you dead but you are _old _and _wrinkly. _So there."

"Your logic fails me."

"As do terms of endearment."

"Hn."

* * *

Sorry this is so short. This is kind of a filler while I sort out and untangle my (haphazard, disorganized) ideas for upcoming chapters. Anyway, Sakura is getting more maternal and Sasuke is starting to notice, which is kind of the point of this story. Y'know.

I have a question: do Japanese people have middle names? (stupid question, I know. Shut up, you)

I want to thank all of you for the wonderful reviews. If any of you ever have questions you actually want me to respond to, just say so in your review. If not, I most likely won't reply because I'm lazy like that, but I appreciate every single one of your reviews because you guys FRIGGING ROCK.

Specifically, I'd like to thank **Akamai **for responding to my question about how graphic this is going to be (wow, someone actually reads my author's notes). My heart goes out to you. Really. It does. If you find a heart hovering outside your window, do not be alarmed. However, I might like it back eventually. A bit hard to live without a heart, you know. It pumps blood and whatnot.

Also, **shkh4ever **said that I am "one hell of a writer". Um, uh, haha, HELL YEAH. FLATTERY DOES GET YOU EVERYWHERE. I AM SHAMELESS. BEWARE.

Thanks a bunch, everyone! (Beware.)


	7. Chapter 7

**Everything Is Alright**

What urged him to check up on two of his students, Kakashi did not know. It was a spur of the moment thing, an impulse that he didn't give much thought to before he found himself entering his only female student's office, nonchalant and casual as usual.

Sasuke, reclining on the sofa, must have noticed his presence before he even came in, and didn't as much as bother to turn from where he had been fiddling with a kunai. Sakura, however, took a few moments to look up, absorbed in a form she was filling out.

"Kakashi-sensei," she intoned, surprised. "This is a surprise."

"Ah, hello, Sakura," Kakashi greeted cheerfully before he turned to the pale young man on the couch. "Sasuke."

"Kakashi," Sasuke said levelly.

"Still as monotonous as ever, then?" Kakashi observed.

"Sasuke-kun is the Master of the Monotone," Sakura agreed. "Sensei, did you need something?"

Kakashi feigned hurt. "What, I need a _reason _to drop in on my former students?"

"No," Sakura allowed, and narrowed her eyes. "But knowing you, you must likely have an _ulterior motive._"

"Your suspicion is wounding," Kakashi informed her somberly, fighting a small smile. Sakura always had been clever and perceptive. "Actually, I wanted to take you both out to lunch. Bonding and whatnot."

"…Bonding?" Sakura repeated, skeptical.

"Yes," Kakashi said brightly, "bonding. How about it, Sasuke?" he inquired of the silent boy.

"Hn," Sasuke remarked.

"…That's a yes, then? Good. Well, come on then, Sakura, grab that bag you're always carrying around," Kakashi ordered.

"Kakashi-sensei, I'm busy," Sakura protested, but reached for her messenger-bag anyway.

"You always are; I'm sure your busyness can wait a bit, don't you think?" Kakashi wheedled, already confident of his victory.

"I guess, yeah," Sakura admitted. "I am kind of hungry. Is it okay with you, Sasuke-kun?"

He shrugged and rose to his feet fluidly. "I'm bored."

"Alright, lead the way, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura instructed.

--

Kakashi took them to a small restaurant near the outskirts of town. It was mostly deserted, save for a few customers and a couple of waitresses milling about. Adorning the walls was a staggering array of paintings, posters, and mounted, vintage knick-knacks.

"I've never been here before," Sakura said as she looked around curiously. Sasuke was determinedly apathetic, as ever.

"Well, now you can say you have," Kakashi pointed out easily, leading them to a secluded booth in the corner.

Kakashi sat on one side and Sakura and Sasuke faced him. Truth be told, Kakashi did actually have an ulterior motive of sorts for taking them to lunch; he had been curious as to how they were getting along. Sakura had been staying at the Uchiha manor with Sasuke for roughly a month, now. Also, Kakashi just hadn't seen Sasuke since the boy was a Genin.

Looking at Sasuke now, not much had changed, at least not physically. He was taller and more muscular, predictably, and his features were a little finer, his hair a bit longer. Other than that he looked exactly the same.

His behavior wasn't quite as familiar. He was still quiet, curt, and taciturn, yes. To be specific, his behavior towards Sakura had changed dramatically. When they walked to the restaurant, the two had walked beside each other, about a foot of space between them. For most people this wasn't a big deal, but Sasuke had always been big on personal space, and being so comfortable with Sakura in such close proximity was surprising.

Also, when Sakura was filling Kakashi in on her goings-on since he had seen her last, Sasuke seemed to listen—not raptly, but with some degree of attentiveness. He would occasionally smirk or frown at certain points when she spoke. Again, this would have been nothing big had it been anyone else, but it was quite rare for Sasuke in his younger days to really listen to Sakura when she spoke and it didn't directly involve him—or listen to anyone, for that matter. Sasuke was even more self-absorbed than Kakashi himself.

From these two observations Kakashi gleaned that Sasuke had become comfortable with her, and that he held her with some regard and respect. This, for Sasuke, was indeed remarkable.

Even now, as Kakashi watched them from across the table, the change between this Sasuke and the thirteen-year-old Sasuke was evident. Sasuke was surveying his surroundings clinically, dispassionately. But Kakashi saw Sasuke's black eyes flicker to Sakura once—and again, about a minute alter. Almost like a stutter.

Again! The third time. This gave Kakashi a good deal of information, but he wasn't sure what to make of it. Sasuke held Sakura as an object of interest? Someone to watch, observe, study?

Having to remain with Sakura day in and day out must get boring, and even Sasuke would have to find something to entertain him eventually. It was reasonable that he would choose Sakura—she was a constant companion, and full of subtle, barely perceptible quirks.

Kakashi was aware that his own and Sasuke's minds were similar in some aspects, and that dissecting and analyzing a person like Sakura would hold a challenge for Sasuke, something to amuse himself with.

However, what would happen when Sasuke decided he was through with her—that she no longer held any amount of interest for him? Bored people, Kakashi had found, were often the most dangerous of all. He would have to keep a close eye on the situation.

"…shi-sensei?"

Kakashi snapped back into focus. "What?"

"You've been staring blankly into space for at least five minutes, Sensei," Sakura informed him. "I was contemplating pouring water on you."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't; it would have messed up my hair," Kakashi informed her in a confidential whisper.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "You are such a _girl_," she scorned.

A waitress approached them. "May I take your order?" she asked, addressing the group at large.

Sakura ordered the special of the day, and after a beat: "What she's having," Sasuke said quietly.

Kakashi ordered as well, and waitress bustled away. Kakashi watched her go. "She's got a nice ass," he remarked in an offhand manner.

Sakura groaned. "Please, stop making comments like that," she implored. "Your one-track mind is disgusting."

"You're still too young to understand," Kakashi sighed. "Kids these days, I'm tellin' ya…"

Sakura scoffed. "Even _Naruto_ is more mature than you are at times."

"That may be true," Kakashi allowed, "but there's no way he can match my awesome sense of style."

Sakura didn't have anything to say to that. The kid _did _wear an orange jumpsuit.

--

They parted ways after the meal, Sasuke and Sakura heading back to the hospital, and Kakashi off to…well, wherever it is Kakashi spent his time.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura began, "you've been quiet. What's up?"

"Nothing," Sasuke replied simply.

She shrugged. "If you say so."

One thing Sasuke had come to appreciate about Sakura over the past month was her unwillingness to poke and pry in his life. When he didn't want to talk about something, she didn't whine, didn't beg, didn't pout. She accepted it and moved on. She understood that his privacy was important to him and didn't push him to say anything he didn't want to.

Sasuke was, in turn, more willing to disclose personal information with her. When she asked an innocent, casual question, if he didn't see any harm in it, he would answer freely. He knew she wouldn't prod him for more, and he trusted her not to go reporting everything she knew to the Hokage.

Of course, she didn't know anything the Godaime would care about. She hadn't asked him anything about what happened during his absence, so he hadn't told her anything. Sasuke did get the sense at times that she was curious but was refraining from asking.

If she did ask, Sasuke was unsure of how much he would tell her. Some parts he was still figuring out himself, and others he didn't want to burden her with. Sasuke had become aware of Sakura's compassion and her distress over other people's pain, and knew she was already losing enough sleep as it was.

"Sakura-san!"

The pair turned to find Lee sprinting towards them at a breakneck speed. He gave no indication of halting, so Sasuke prepared himself to pull Sakura out of the way, as she was so clearly in the green spandex-clad boy's way.

Just in time, though, Lee hurtled to a stop right in front of her. "Hello, Sakura-san!" he greeted exuberantly.

Sakura couldn't help but smile. "Hi, Lee-san."

He beamed at her and turned to her companion. "Hello, Sasuke-kun! It is nice to see you again."

"Hn." Sasuke didn't exactly return the sentiment.

"Where are you off to?" Lee asked Sakura.

"Work," she answered wearily.

Lee blinked confused. "Work?"

"Ah, you've heard of it."

He shook his head. "No, I just assumed you had the day off, since you are walking around."

"Oh," Sakura waved her hand, "we were just getting lunch."

Lee furrowed his brows in confusion. "You two were on a…date?"

Sakura shook her head. "No, Kakashi-sensei actually dropped by my office and offered to take us to lunch."

"Ah," he intoned in understanding. "Well, I have to go; I believe Ayame-san's shift is ending now. Goodbye, Sakura-san, Sasuke-kun!" And with that he sped off.

Sasuke turned to her. "Ayame?"

"The ramen stand owner's daughter," Sakura explained. "Lee-san has become infatuated with her. Her father has started beating him off with a broom," she laughed.

Sasuke smirked at the mental images that sprang to mind.

* * *

Hullo there. Sorry about the wait--my muse died.

SPOILER: I REJECT THE LATEST MANGA CHAPTER. REJECT IT, I SAY. ITACHI IS EVIL. I REFUSE TO BELIEVE MADARA'S LIES. UGH.

Can anyone come up with a better summary for this? It's very sad that my own summary bores me. Very sad, indeed.

Sorry the chapter's so short. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews--I read them all, I swear. Kinda rushed now, so my author's note is unusually short. Okaygottagoseeyabye!


	8. Chapter 8

**Everything Is Alright**

The next day found Sasuke and Sakura in the latter's office. Over the past week or so Sasuke had been formulating questions he was curious about, which he was currently firing at her.

"What do you teach at the Academy?" was his first question. He sat on the edge of the sofa, his hands clasped before him, regarding her with an earnest and steadfast expression.

"Genjutsu, chakra control and basic medical procedures," she answered readily. Sakura was bent over her desk, writing a report on a patient's health.

"Are you in ANBU?"

Sakura shook her head absently. "No." Foreseeing his follow-up question, she added, "I'm not sure if I'll apply. Shishou thinks I'm too valuable to risk on ANBU missions." She frowned slightly, as if displeased by the Godaime's opinion.

Sasuke nodded. "I can believe that."

Sakura slanted a skeptical glance at him, her pen still moving across the paper. "You think ANBU is too dangerous for me?"

Sasuke tried to gauge her mood before answering. She seemed perfectly calm, but he had found that she could appear the most docile right before her temper exploded—the calm before the storm.

Deciding to risk honesty, he opined, "Yes, I think there are some ANBU missions that are too dangerous for you." Sakura's eyes narrowed ominously. "You're too valuable and skilled a medic-nin to have your safety in jeopardy," Sasuke said as well, to appease her. He didn't want to make her so angry that she would refuse to answer the inquiries he still wanted to pose.

Sakura frowned at him, obviously seeing through his cover-up, but she chose not to call him on it, instead turning back to face her desk.

Sasuke waited a moment before asking, "Are you still the Hokage's apprentice?"

"No," Sakura answered mildly, "Tsunade-sama deemed that she had nothing else to teach me about a year ago. She's still my superior in rank, however, because she has a vast amount of experience over me."

"Why did you want to become a shinobi?" he asked, something that had intrigued him for a while now.

Sakura seemed a bit embarrassed. "Well…when I was little, I kind of wanted to be a vampire," she replied honestly. "Being a shinobi was the closest thing I could find."

Sasuke smirked. "A vampire?"

Sakura glared at him in mock-anger. "Yes, a vampire. They're cool; they can fly and wear capes—kind of like superheroes, except they suck people's blood."

"Yes, there is that little exception," Sasuke drawled wryly.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "You just wish you were a vampire. You're already pale enough, and you've got the sharp teeth-thing going on," she mused.

Sasuke glared at her, indignant. "I do not have sharp teeth."

She looked at him in amusement. "_Sure _you don't."

Resisting the odd impulse to stick his tongue out at her, Sasuke asked instead, "What's your favorite color?"

Sakura shrugged. "Don't have one."

"If you had to choose…?" Sasuke pressed.

She sighed. "Um…green, I guess."

"Favorite season?"

"Autumn," she responded immediately.

"Why?" Sasuke probed.

"Summer is too hot, winter is too cold, and I'm allergic to pollen, so spring sucks," she said frankly.

"So, by process of elimination, it's autumn," Sasuke summed up, amused by her last comment.

She nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah…and I dunno, I just kind of like the smell—of autumn."

"The smell of autumn?" Sasuke repeated, incredulous.

She grinned. "Yeah, like--…like apple cider and spices and falling leaves and pumpkin pies—which I actually dislike—and chilly breezes. Autumn."

Sasuke absorbed this information slowly. "Alright," he said finally. "What chakra-type are you?"

"I'm a primary water-type and a secondary earth-type."

"Favorite type of music?" he inquired.

Sakura shot a bemused look at him. "Is this going to turn into a personality quiz?"

"Answer the question," Sasuke demanded stiffly.

She laughed a bit. "I like classical." It made sense, he decided; she did play the piano.

"That's it for now, then," Sasuke concluded.

Sakura looked at him out of the corner of her eye. Sasuke, astute and perceptive as he was, swiftly realized that she wanted to ask him about the period of time he had spent in Sound. He knew because he had thoughtlessly mentioned it in passing a couple of days ago, and she had looked at him the same way—with guarded curiosity, hesitation and trepidation.

He didn't want to tell her anything. Sakura was too…too delicate, too fragile to learn about the various horrors and atrocities he had endured for roughly seven or eight years. He wanted to protect her from that information. Still, he felt he owed her something for the relentless, occasionally personal questioning he had aimed at her.

After a good five minutes, he chose the safest piece of information he could. "There were bogs in Sound," he said slowly, quietly.

Sakura, who had turned back to her desk, visibly froze. A moment later she set her pen down and turned to face him, wearing the most ecstatic and lovely smile Sasuke had seen her with.

She stood up and walked over to where he sat on the sofa and bent down to press a soft kiss to his cheek, as she had kissed Naruto when he returned from his mission—but this time not in greeting, in thanks.

She straightened slowly, still smiling. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun," she hummed quietly, her lilting voice sounding strangely pleasant to him.

It was on that note she left—she had mentioned to Sasuke that she would be on call in the emergency room today—and he was suddenly by himself, bewildered that such a trivial, meaningless piece of information could make her so happy.

After a while he realized that it wasn't the information that made her happy; it was the fact that he offered it willingly.

--

Several hours later, Sakura still had not returned, and Sasuke was beginning to get irritated. Where was she? A shift in the emergency room shouldn't normally take this long.

After a quick moment of contemplation he decided to go look for her. He was allowed to venture by himself in the hospital, and he was just the slightest bit worried, though he was loathe to admit to it, seeing as it was over such a small matter as Sakura not returning to her office.

As opposed to randomly searching for her, Sasuke opted to seek out her chakra. It was an easy matter as most of the staff had left for the night; he hadn't realized how late it was. He located her softly pulsing green chakra in an otherwise empty room somewhere in the east wing.

Moving swiftly, his concern increasing rapidly, he found the room she was in and entered immediately, not bothering to knock.

It appeared to be a storage room, mostly filled with large boxes containing what Sasuke assumed to be medical equipment. He didn't particularly care, however, for the medic he had been searching for was huddled on the floor, unmoving.

Sakura was sitting on the floor, leaning against one of the boxes. Her arms were around her knees and her head was down, her hair splayed to completely obscure her face.

Sasuke was by her side in an instant. "Sakura." He gripped her shoulder. "Sakura, say something."

"Sasuke-kun," she murmured.

Sasuke's concern, which had been rapidly escalating up to that point, slowed somewhat. She was okay, then. Physically, at least.

Sasuke sat beside her, about a foot of space separating them. "Sakura, what happened?" he asked carefully.

A long moment passed, and just as Sasuke was deliberating on asking again, she whispered, "I lost a patient."

So nothing had happened to _her_. Sasuke's concern abated a bit more. "Surely you've lost one before."

"No," Sakura's voice cracked. "This was the first person I let…die. He's—he's _dead_, Sasuke-kun. It's my fault."

Sasuke was unsure of what to do. She was clearly upset and distraught, but Sasuke had absolutely no clue on how to help her. Comforting people wasn't exactly his forte.

"Sakura," he began hesitantly, "it's—"

"He was just a _child_, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura asserted, her voice rising to a hysterical level. "He was _twelve._ He—he was on his first C-class mission, and he took a kunai to the lung. His," she took a shuddering breath, "his teammates carried him all the way back, but I _let him die! _It's my entire fault…"

"No, it's not, Sakura," Sasuke told her sternly.

"_Yes it is! _Because I…I was distracted--I kept…I kept thinking about how it could have been _you_ or _N-Naruto_…and…and…" she trailed off.

Sasuke didn't contradict her, didn't pat her shoulder in that awkward way that people always did. He sat quietly and kept her company, realizing that nothing he said would make her feel better right now.

After what must have been at least an hour, Sasuke said quietly, "Come on, Sakura, let's go home."

She didn't respond, but Sasuke wasn't going to let her stay in this dark, chilly storage room all night, so he took her by the forearms lightly and tugged her to her feet.

Her head remained bowed and her hair continued to veil her face. Impulsively, Sasuke brought a hand up to lift her chin and brush her hair out of her face.

Once her face was free of obstruction, Sasuke assessed her critically. Her eyes were dull and glassy, completely devoid of the spark that usually settled there. She was a bit pale and pallid, her complexion almost sickly. She looked exhausted, and, to Sasuke's immense surprise, her face was clear of tear-streaks. The difference between this Sakura and the younger one he had known as a child was phenomenal.

Sasuke kept a loose grip on her elbow. "Let's go, Sakura," he murmured. She didn't respond, her expression weary and vacant.

He guided her at the elbow out of the hospital and onto the mostly deserted streets. They were only mostly deserted, because a drunken young man was stumbling towards them. (Don't drink, people. DON'T DO IT. _That particular _Dark Side is not cool. Not cool.)

The man seemed to notice Sakura, but not Sasuke. Sasuke drew Sakura closer to him instinctively, so that her side was pressed against his own. She sagged against him, apparently too tired to support herself.

"Hey, pretty girl," the man slurred. "You wanna—" he cut off with a strangled yell when he looked into Sasuke's furious and terrifying Sharingan eyes. The drunkard staggered backwards and collapsed in a heap, still retaining the good sense to be terrified.

Sasuke's red eyes faded immediately to black. He spared one smug look at the heap of a man on the ground before proceeding to pull the young medic along. The green-eyed girl didn't even seem to have been aware of the drunken man's presence.

After what seemed an achingly long time, they arrived at the deserted Uchiha manor. Sasuke helped Sakura to her room and even assisted her in removing her dark blue sandals.

The girl fell backwards on the bed, staring up at the white ceiling.

Sasuke watched her solemnly. "Are you okay?" he asked in a muted tone.

Sakura's eyes slowly shifted to him. "Yeah. I'm fine." Sasuke gave her a look, and she laughed hollowly. "Okay, I'm not." Her gaze softened when she looked at him. "I think I will be, though. Goodnight, Sasuke-kun. Thank you."

"Yeah," Sasuke said quietly, and left her to sort things out by herself. Sleep and time by herself would make her feel better, he decided--_hoped._

* * *

Hmm.

(I forgot this in the last chapter.) Thanks to **CJ Lunacy **and **-.- **for answering my question in chapter six. Much appreciated.

Um...am I a perfectionist? I'm never satisfied with the way I write...I dislike this chapter more than some of the others because it had potential, but then it...well. It became all eh-y. Y'know? Yeah. I feel you, dude.

By the way, if there are any of you who haven't read _Pride and Prejudice_, READ IT. READ IT AND JOIN MY DARCY-CULT. WE GET TO WEAR FUNNY HATS. BOO-RAH.

Can anyone give me writing tips? I'm just really dissatisfied with my writing right now...


	9. Chapter 9

**Everything Is Alright**

Sasuke was sitting in the kitchen eating a tomato the next morning when Sakura walked in, rubbing at her eyes in a displeased manner.

She looked at him accusingly. "Sasuke-kun, you let me sleep in late. I'm already half an hour late for work."

Sasuke shrugged and examined her analytically after finishing the tomato. The shadows under her eyes were darker and much more prominent than they had been previously, indicating that she had slept restlessly the night before, if it all. Her eyes were a bit glassy, though he couldn't see them well because her bangs hung haphazardly in front of them. Her lips were a raw pink, informing him that she had bitten them incessantly. His sharp eyesight even enabled him to see that she had bitten her lower lip so much that it bled, accounting for the bit of dried blood near the corner of her mouth.

Sakura sighed wearily and ran a slender hand through her messy, pink hair. "Anyway, I'm going to go get ready."

She turned to exit the kitchen, but her path to her room was suddenly obstructed by Sasuke, who had used his god-like speed to block her exit. He shook his head and literally turned her around. "No. Eat first."

Sakura tried only once to tug her arm free from his firm grip—it was like wearing a shackle on her bicep. "But I'll be late for my shift!" she protested indignantly.

"You already are," Sasuke pointed out blandly. "Surely a few more minutes wouldn't make much of a difference."

Sakura was quite obviously trumped by his logic. "Fine," she muttered exasperatedly, and grudgingly allowed him to steer her to a chair and set a plate of rice-balls and various breakfast foods on the table before her.

Sasuke watched as she clambered onto the chair—it amused him that she had to clamber (she was comparatively short and the chairs were rather tall)—and waited impatiently for her to begin eating before he left her to her meal, ordering over his shoulder on his way out, "Eat all of it."

He could just hear her mumble of "Who died and made you the King of Consumption?"

--

Sasuke remained diligently by Sakura's side as they entered the hospital, noticing the open stares and sly whispers the girl beside him received. It was quite evident that they all were aware that Sakura had lost a patient the previous day.

Sakura apparently noticed as well and made it a point to keep her head up and her stride purposeful. Sasuke almost thought that he was proud of her. He observed as she made polite, strained conversation with the receptionist, who handed the young medic a few papers.

Only when they entered Sakura's office and closed the door did Sakura's head droop and her hair swing forward to hide her face. Sasuke was becoming to realize that was a bad habit of hers whenever she was embarrassed or upset and didn't want anyone to know.

Sasuke sat on the sofa and watched her out of the corner of his eye. Sakura seemed emotionally fragile today, and even the smallest, most insignificant incident might be able to shatter her valiant attempt at self-control and poise.

They had been there for but forty-five minutes when the door was thrown open and an extremely angry, middle-aged man stormed in, a frantic nurse insisting that he _stop this at once, please, sir!_

The man ignored her and turned to Sakura, who was frozen with her pen in midair, clearly startled and confused.

"You!" the man thundered. "You're the one responsible for my son's death!"

"Please, sir!" the nurse pressed. "Don't speak like that! It's not Sakura-san's fault, she tried her best and—"

The man didn't even appear to notice her protests, and he certainly didn't heed them. Pointing an accusatory finger at his thunderstruck victim, he bellowed, "It's your fault Hireko died! If only they'd put a _real _medic on duty in the emergency room, not some silly little girl that wanted to play doctor, Hireko would still be alive! _Do you understand?! _My son is dead because of _you!_"

Sasuke was indescribably furious that this asshole barged in and started shouting horrible things at Sakura when she was trying so hard to pretend she was alright. Noting her increasingly upset expression, he deemed it very necessary to step in and shield her from the hateful words being flung at her so carelessly.

Sasuke rose to his feet quickly and stalked to stand before the irate father. The man was still pointing the damnatory finger at Sakura, so Sasuke grabbed his wrist and twisted it in what he knew from experience was a very painful way.

The man gasped in pain and struggled, to no avail, in Sasuke's iron grip. "Leave," Sasuke commanded quietly, eventually releasing him.

Hireko's father stumbled backwards, clutching his hand to his chest. He looked at Sasuke incredulously before comprehension dawned upon his features. "Oh, I know _you_," he sneered, contempt evident in his voice. "You're the Uchiha traitor. I can't believe the Hokage let you off with just probation. If you ask me, they should have just executed you the moment you stepped back in the village."

Sasuke, unfazed by the man's harsh opinion, was about to demand that he leave a second time when Sakura jumped from her seat and stepped between them.

Sasuke could only see the back of her head, but he could tell she was still upset by the way her voice quavered. "I'm really sorry about your son," she said sincerely to the man in front of her. "I really am. But don't you _dare _talk to Sasuke-kun like that." Sasuke was surprised by the fierce tone her voice took on.

The man sneered in condescension at her. "Oh, so the girl's got a bite. So what? My son is dead and it's your fault, _bitch! _You're so pathetic and incompetent that you couldn't even save one kid's life! You only got this position because you're the Hokage's favorite, so don't you go thinking you can tell me what I _dare _or _dare not do!_"

Livid and murderous, Sasuke shoved forcefully Sakura out of the way, fully intent upon smashing the bastard's face in. At the last moment Sakura's small hands closed around his fist.

"Sasuke-kun, stop!" she pled frantically. "You're still on probation, remember? One misdemeanor and they could throw you in prison! And Shishou was thinking about lightening your punishment because of good behavior, too! So please, _please _don't. For me."

_For me._

Sasuke looked into her wide, desperate green eyes. Her expression was imploring, and she was biting down so hard on her lower lip that blood was trickling from the corner of her mouth again. Sasuke gingerly brought a hand up to wipe the blood away. It only smeared.

Scowling, Sasuke pulled his hand out of her grasp and shoved both hands in his pockets, turning to face away from her. "Che." For Sakura.

Sakura's face broke into a relieved, grateful smile.

"Oi, what's going on here?" a voice Sasuke knew much too well demanded.

Naruto strode into the room dramatically (The loser was trying to look cool, Sasuke thought scornfully), the nurse from before tailing him.

"She," Naruto said to Hireko's father slowly, gesticulating towards the nurse, "says you're yelling at Sakura-chan."

The man took one look at Naruto's stony countenance, glanced at Sasuke's equally furious scowl, and obviously thought better of taking on two angry shinobi. He none too gracefully fled the room.

Naruto watched him run away, narrowing his eyes in satisfaction, before facing Sakura. "Sakura-chan, you didn't believe all the crap the guy was saying, did you?" he asked earnestly.

"It was true, Naruto," she whispered. "It's my fault he's dead."

"No, it's not!" Naruto disagreed vehemently. "You're an _amazing _medic, Sakura-chan! You've saved, like, a _million _people! And remember that time in Suna, when you saved Kankuro just like _that_," he snapped his fingers for effect, "when everyone else thought it was impossible? You tried your best on that kid, it was just too late. Tsunade-baachan couldn't have done any better. Sakura-chan, you're going to lose some patients, you're not God. But if you get all bent out of shape because you lose one person, how are you going to heal all the other people who need your help?"

Sakura looked at him very solemnly for a moment before she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his torso, pressing her face into his chest. Naruto's arms curled around her shoulders, cradling her gently.

For several long moments Sakura didn't move, and Sasuke feared she had stopped breathing. He was just about to tear her from Naruto's arms and check when she sighed heavily and withdrew. Naruto released her wordlessly.

"Thanks, Naruto," she said quietly. Then she wrinkled her nose. "You smell bad."

Naruto laughed in embarrassment and scratched the back of his head. "Oh, yeah. I had just finished training when I came to check on you. Hey," his expression brightened, "why don't I take you and the bastard over there to the ramen stand? My treat. Enjoy it while you can."

Sakura laughed slightly. "I'd like that, Naruto," she said warmly.

The blond-haired boy grinned. "Cool. I'll meet you there in about half an hour, okay? I'm gonna go home and shower real fast."

She nodded. "Sounds good." And then Naruto was gone. Sakura continued to look at the spot where he had been, and Sasuke saw adoration shining brightly in her eyes. It displeased him, for some reason.

Sakura walked over to him and laid a gentle hand on his arm. "And thank you, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke looked away uncomfortably. "I didn't do anything," he muttered. And he hadn't. Naruto was the one who saved her, he thought bitterly. Life was cruel and ironic like that.

Sakura just smiled at him, and he felt a bit better. "I'm going to make my rounds really quick, okay?"

"Hn." Sasuke was already sitting back down on the sofa.

Sakura rolled her green eyes. "You and your perpetual 'hn's. Couldn't you shake it up once in a while with a 'Whatever you say, Sakura,' or a 'Yes, Your Magnificence'?" Apparently she was feeling a bit better.

"I'll work on that," Sasuke drawled, reclining idly.

Sakura offered him a small, fond smile and was out the door.

--

It was only five minutes later that Tsunade stepped in and stood before Sasuke, her hands on her hips.

It was ten minutes later that Sasuke felt the need to point out the obvious. "Sakura's not here."

"Very observant, aren't you?" Tsunade remarked dryly. "No, I actually came here to see you."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, as if to ask, _And…?_

"I passed Sakura in the hall on my way here," the Hokage informed him. "She seemed to be doing…better than I had expected." She cast a speculative glance at him. "Do you have anything to do with that?"

"No. Naruto does."

Tsunade raised her eyebrows at the slightly bitter note in his voice. "Huh. Well, that's not surprising. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you not to let Sakura overexert herself for the next couple of days."

"Hn," Sasuke commented articulately, and the Hokage departed after rolling her eyes and muttering about the impudence of kids these days.

Sasuke frowned and stared at the upholstery of the sofa. Everyone seemed to think that he could take care of Sakura. He couldn't. He just wasn't capable of something like that. Naruto was, though. Naruto could take care of Sakura, not Sasuke.

Because in reality, who was it that was taking care of the other—Sasuke or Sakura?

* * *

Huzzah. Another chapter. Be proud of me. Be proud.

So...Sasuke is becoming bitter(er). Hah. This feels something like justice--or irony. Either way. I'm TRYING AND FAILING (miserably) to make the chapters longer. I'm sorry, guys, I just don't have a long enough attention-span to write a decent-sized chapter. Apologies all around.

Thank you for all the cool reviews. You guys make me feel special. (hugs all around) Special thanks to **amy red rose**, who sent me a spiffy email that boosted my ego to a frightening size. Be afraid. I love emails, even though my Internet is so screwy that I can only get to my Inbox once out of every seven tries. Ugh.

I am officially in love with Ben Barnes, who plays Prince Caspian in the new Narnia movie. Beware.


	10. Chapter 10

**Everything Is Alright**

"Sasuke-kun…? What are you…doing…?" Sakura asked the dark-haired youth a few days later. Her voice was soft, hesitant; unsure.

Sasuke grimaced; he hadn't wanted her to see this. "Just sorting through some junk," he muttered from where he sat on the dusty wood floor of the attic, surrounded by cardboard boxes. He clearly remembered the day he had packed the boxes and hauled them to the attic, blindly shoving anything and everything that reminded him of his recently deceased family into the awaiting boxes.

He remembered the angry tears threatening to overflow from his eyes, the way he had trembled and shook violently. The caustic taste of blood in his mouth from biting the inside of his cheek.

Sakura approached him cautiously. "Do you mind if I stay?"

Sasuke shrugged tensely. "Do what you want." He wanted to tell her to leave, but she still seemed so fragile after the boy's death that he was afraid of upsetting her.

The slender girl slowly crouched to sit beside him, drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "What brought this all one?" she inquired carefully.

Sasuke made an indistinct noise. "It was bothering me." It was true; he had been sleeping restlessly (even more so than usual) the past few nights, troubled by the knowledge that all the things from his past were sitting up here, gathering dust.

Rummaging through a box, he encountered a photograph of himself, aged six or seven, and his father. One day his mother had prompted her husband to go into town and be photographed with his youngest son. _It'll be a bonding experience! _she had said.

Sasuke vaguely recalled the conversation that had ensued on the way to the photographer's stand. Sasuke had been about to enter the Academy, and his father had informed him that only the best would be accepted, that he would have to live up to Itachi's standards.

At the time Sasuke had grinned and nodded, confident that he would be able to catch up with his esteemed elder brother in no time; that he could make his father proud.

He remembered with devastating clarity the feelings he had experienced once he learned that Itachi was light-years ahead of him, hurtling forward while Sasuke dwindled in his wake. He remembered the regret and guilt and disappointment; the desperation and frustration and hurt. He remembered feeling helpless, pathetic, pitiful, disgraceful, _weak_.

He remembered the feelings of sinking…of falling…of suffocating and choking and struggling and screaming. He remembered the feelings of _crumbling-fading-blurring _and _breaking-shattering_. He remembered the feeling of hopelessness.

Itachi's dead, he reminded himself. He's dead, _dead-dead-dead_. So why did he still feel like this?

Small hands reached over and pulled his much larger hands down from his head, where he had unknowingly been gripping his temples so hard that his fingernails left weeping gouge-marks.

Sakura brushed her thin fingers over the cuts; a green spark flared and the abrasions disappeared, his skin once again flawless and marble-smooth.

Sasuke chanced a quick glance at her face. She looked sad and troubled. He mentally berated himself. He was always causing her trouble, making her _worry_…

They sat in complete silence for a dusty eternity, until finally: "I had a dream once," Sakura began quietly. "I…I was standing on the face of a clock. Both hands were on the twelve. Then they started moving. I ran after them, trying to beat them, but it was hopeless. I was far behind when they struck twelve again, and then the clock-face shattered and I…fell. And I didn't stop falling.

"I thought…I thought that if I beat the clock-hands, could get there before it struck midnight…I thought that I could save you—from Orochimaru, from Itachi, from yourself, I don't know. I thought that it was my job, my _purpose _to save you after you left, to run fast enough and train hard enough to chase you down and drag you back and make everything alright again." She smiled bitterly.

"I was too late; I never managed it. But you didn't need me to save you; Naruto saved you. But you still…I don't know. You're still _struggling, _you're still _bleeding_, I think. And…I think that somewhere inside you, I think you're still a little bit lost and a little bit confused and a little bit scared.

"I thought…I thought that if I couldn't save you, I could do that much; I could help you, could heal you." She ducked her head so that her hair tumbled forward and hid her face from view. "I'm afraid, though, Sasuke-kun. I'm afraid that you won't want my help, that you'll push me away. But…I'm even more afraid that if you did accept my help and I failed, if I couldn't help you…" She was whispering now. "I would feel so _useless and pathetic _that I don't think I would be able to stand it.

"I don't want to feel useless and pathetic anymore, Sasuke-kun. But…even if I am useless and pathetic…I think I might eventually be okay, if I just knew, that even without my help, that you're happy, that you're okay. Even if I couldn't do anything for you."

She took a deep, shuddering breath. "So…so just let me know if you even need my help, Sasuke-kun. And, one day…I want you to tell me that you're alright."

She finally turned to look at him, and for the first time since they were thirteen, Sasuke was able to read her like a book. Her expression was solemn, but her eyes blazed and Sasuke saw desperation and compassion and determination written across her features.

"I know it's really selfish of me, but…please. When that day comes…tell me. Tell me that you're alright."

She was gazing at him so earnestly that Sasuke had to avert his eyes to the floor. "Sakura…" he frowned and rose to his feet, pulling Sakura up with him. At a complete loss of what to say after…that, Sasuke put his hands on her shoulders and propelled her down the stairs. Sakura tractably allowed him to guide her.

When they reached the bottom, he released her and said at length, "Don't worry about me."

She opened her mouth to say something, but Sasuke cut her off by shoving her lightly towards the kitchen. "Go eat something."

She exhaled sharply. "You are, like, a _drug-pusher_." After a moment she amended, "Only with food—a food-pusher? You know what, you're just _pushy. _Yeah."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and turned to re-enter the attic. "You are a piece of work," he muttered, an amused glint in his black eyes.

The threat: "Come down here and say that" drifted up to his ears from below him, and he smirked.

--

"Sasuke-kun! Have you seen my hairbrush?" Sakura inquired frantically one morning a few weeks later. They never discussed their conversation in the attic, and Sasuke was perfectly content to leave it that way.

"No," Sasuke answered. He was sitting in the living room, reading a scroll. "Why would I know where it is?"

"Because you're amazing and awesome and cool and magical and special and you're going to help me find it," Sakura said brightly, coming to a sudden stop before him and tugging at his shirt. "Right?"

Sasuke raised one eyebrow idly. "And why would I do that?"

Sakura's expression became sober. "Because if you don't I'll tell Shishou that I was late getting to the hospital today because you refused to cooperate—and that on the way you mugged an old lady and filched a kid's lollipop."

"That would be a lie," Sasuke pointed out blandly.

She gave him a sunny smile. "And who is she going to believe, her adorable—yes, Sasuke-kun, _adorable_, don't you sneer at me—former apprentice, or a convict?"

The girl made a point.

"I'm coming," he grumbled, rolling up the scroll.

She appeared to just notice his reading material. "Hey, what's that?" she asked curiously, peering at the parchment in his hands.

"A scroll," Sasuke said slowly, regarding her as if she was mentally surpassed by a potato.

Sakura stuck her tongue out at him. "You are just _so _clever, y'know? What's the scroll about?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Ninjutsu."

Sakura sighed in disappointment. "You are a very boring person, as I'm sure you're aware. Seriously, can't you deviate from the norm a little? Step out of your rut? Read something about politics, perhaps, or philosophy?"

"Politics give me a headache and philosophy is just a bunch of old men dithering on about life and the soul and whatever—not my thing," Sasuke said flatly.

Sakura gave him a skeptical look. "If you say so," she commented vaguely, before grabbing his arm. "C'mon—I'm going to be late again if I can't find my hairbrush, and then Tsunade-sama will lecture me again and I'll be irritated again and then I'll take it out on you again and then you'll make one of your doubtlessly snarky remarks again and I'll be angry for the rest of the day again and the whole experience will just be genuinely unpleasant, so I'd rather avoid it on the whole. You get what I'm saying?"

"Why are you so talkative today?" Sasuke asked quizzically as she led him to her room. "I can tolerate you more when you're quiet."

Sakura made a noncommittal noise. "I'm a girl—I have mood swings. Although, you're more moody than I am," she mused thoughtfully, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

Sasuke stiffened like an angry cat and refused to answer her.

Inside her room, Sasuke realized that he had never really stopped to look at it, so he did so then, inspecting it as if he would have to give a report on it.

It was fairly simple and sensible; a mint green comforter adorned her bed; her desk near the bed was wooden and painted white. It was overflowing with papers, books, scrolls, files, folders, and notebooks. A nightstand that matched the desk stood beside the bed and on it was a small table-lamp and a photograph of the original Team Seven. A bulletin board hung on the wall, which displayed various other photographs: there were many of her with Naruto; a few with Ino; one with Shikamaru; a good deal with Hinata, some of which included another white-eyed girl that Sasuke realized must be Hinata's younger sister, and three with Neji, which made him scowl irritably. The rest were of other members of their age group and their numerous mentors.

Some clothing items were tossed casually on the floor, but the rest of the room was taken up by three large bookcases, also painted to match the desk and nightstand. They were crammed with books—old and new, large and small. In the only open corner of the room was an overstuffed bean-bag chair next to a small table with a CD-player sitting on it. Also on the table was a disorganized stack of CDs. Sasuke picked up one and discovered that it was a classical composer he didn't recognize.

Meanwhile, Sakura was tearing apart her bed, searching for her elusive hairbrush. "Where is it?" she growled.

A few minutes later she was sitting on her bed in a dejected manner, mumbling to herself about how she knew she should have gotten a spare brush. Sasuke was just about to suggest they head to the hospital regardless when he spotted a dark blue handle sticking out from behind the desk.

He grabbed it, and sure enough it proved to be the item Sakura had sought so persistently for. Sasuke tapped her on the shoulder and offered it to her with a smug smirk.

Sakura beamed ecstatically before she noticed his self-impressed expression. Sobering instantly, she glared at him without any sincere malice. "Shut up, you."

"Hn."

--

When they returned home that night—later than usual, because Sakura had stopped by Shikamaru's house to play shougi with him while Sasuke observed, they each disappeared to their respective rooms. They had grabbed a quick dinner on the way home.

Later, however, he was surprised to receive a knock on his bedroom door. He opened the door, partly irritated and partly curious.

Sakura was standing there juggling a towering stack of books. Bewildered, Sasuke realized she was struggling and made to take the staggering amount of literature from her.

Sakura resisted his assistance and stepped past him into the room. "I've got it," she insisted.

Sasuke disapproved of her stubborn display of independence, but decided to lecture her another time and find out why in the world she had just dumped a load of books on his bed first.

"What are you doing?" he asked, resigned.

She grinned at him. "I decided that I'd help you vary your reading material. These are some books I thought you might like," she said, gesturing to the books strewn about his once-tidy bed. "There's politics and philosophy and autobiographies and textbooks and novels and essays and stuff."

Sasuke was about to protest her presumptuous action and demand that she remove the offending objects from his bed when she cut him off. "Please, Sasuke-kun, just give them a shot. You don't have to read all of them—just, just read one and I'll be happy. And you've got to be bored, right?" Sakura pointed out.

Sasuke let out an exasperated breath and ran a hand through his tousled hair. "Does it really mean that much to you?"

Sakura nodded eagerly. "I'd actually like to know what you think of some of them."

"Why?" Sasuke asked, doubtful.

Sakura shrugged. "Your opinion means a lot to me."

Something foreign but undeniably pleasant fizzed in Sasuke's nerves. Ignoring the sensation, he mumbled instead, "Fine. I'll think about it." Sakura grinned at him, and he gave her a meaningful look. "That was your cue to leave."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

She turned to go, but against his better judgment Sasuke interrupted her. "You're going to bed, right?"

Sakura shook her head. "Later, I have some stuff to—"

"Go to bed," Sasuke ordered sternly. "You're already sleep-deprived enough—you look terrible," he said bluntly, referring to the dark shadows under her eyes that bothered Sasuke so greatly.

Sakura's head jerked up. "Excuse me?" she squawked indignantly.

"To bed," Sasuke repeated, and pushed her out the door. She looked ready to argue, so he warned, "Don't make me have to check on you every hour."

She glared at him, turned on her heel and stalked off to her room. Sasuke waited until he saw her light flick off before he too went to bed, satisfied.

* * *

So. Angst and stuff. I like some parts of this chapter and dislike others, but that's an improvement, right?

My Internet is malfunctioning unbelievably, so I may not be submitting as frequently in the near future because of that. However, that gives me time to actually PLAN AHEAD, which may increase the quality—possibly. Anyway, just wanted you all to know.

By the way, Ben Barnes, if you happen to be reading this, **CALL ME. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Everything Is Alright**

The exact point in time that Neji had become interested in Sakura romantically, he wasn't sure. All he knew that over the course of roughly seven or so years, his regard of her had undergone a slow, gradual evolution.

When he first met her as a Genin, he had felt a small amount of contempt and disdain for her (he hadn't cared enough about her to feel any more than that). She had been just the weakest member of Team Seven to him, a weak, loud, slightly irritating person that barely showed up on his radar. In his thirteen-year-old mind, she had been condemned by fate to end up as an average, nothing-special Chuunin, and then retire as a housewife. No one he would make any effort to associate himself with.

After Uchiha Sasuke defected the village and she confronted Naruto as he and four others, including Neji, set out to track down the runaway, he had felt a bit of pity for her when he first saw her—she had looked so devastated, so utterly crushed, that had it been in his nature, he may have tried to comfort her. However, his pity had quickly dissipated when she begged Naruto to bring the Uchiha back for her—her spineless, weak behavior had disgusted him to a small degree.

Afterwards his disgust also dissipated, because he reasoned that she was being sensible—there really was nothing she could have done. Logic and reason were things he could empathize with.

A few weeks later a small amount of pity for her was beginning to form again—first one of her teammates left, then the other set out on a journey, and finally her instructor became reinstated in ANBU, leaving her entirely by herself. He tried to imagine himself without Tenten's steady presence, Lee's passionate loyalty, and Gai's fiery mentorship, and found it difficult.

He had encountered her on the street shortly after Naruto left. He hadn't acknowledged her in any way, because in all actuality they had never spoken before, but he remembered having been slightly unnerved at the sight of her. Her face had been blank and expressionless, her eyes dull and despondent. She had been walking in a way that seemed aimless, purposeless. His pity had grown.

Less than a week later he heard that she had approached the newly-appointed Godaime and requested an apprenticeship, which Tsunade had agreed to. He had approved; she had taken the appropriate steps in furthering her career as a shinobi. However, he remembered being confused as to why the Hokage had accepted her as an apprentice. He would have thought that she would have chosen someone with more potential.

Five months later he had been injured on a mission and sent to the hospital. Sakura had been appointed to heal him, and Neji had been puzzled and skeptical—surely she couldn't have gained enough skill in only five months to be able to heal him, and without even someone to supervise?

Still, he had kept his doubt to himself and watched her approach from where he was prone on a hospital bed. She had offered him a fleeting, hesitant smile. "Hello, Neji-san," she greeted quietly. "Do you mind?" she inquired, asking his permission to touch his lightly bleeding wound.

He had gestured for her to go ahead, and she knelt by the bedside, a soft green glow forming around her small hands. He remembered marveling at how small her hands were.

He had watched her silently as she attended to him. It had been the first time he had seen her since their brief encounter on the street, and he noted that she looked livelier, healthier. Her expression was serene and attentive as she tended to the wound.

The procedure took about five minutes, and he had been surprised that she had healed him so efficiently in such a short amount of time, taking into account the brevity of her training thus far.

He had probed at what was once a long, deep gash in his side and was now a shiny pink scar, prominent against his pale skin. She had stood and instructed him to take it easy for a little while, and alert the hospital immediately if something went amiss.

Then with a small parting wave she had headed for the door, but before her hand reached the door-handle he had interrupted her. "Sakura-san."

She had paused and turned to look at him inquiringly. "Yes, Neji-san?" she asked politely.

He had held her eyes with his own and said quietly, "Thank you."

She had grinned slightly. "No problem."

After that he hadn't thought of her much, but when he landed in the hospital again, almost a full year later, he had asked the nurse impulsively, "Would it be possible for Haruno Sakura-san to heal me?"

The nurse had deliberated. "I don't see why not," she allowed. "Is she a friend of yours?"

Neji had mused over that, running the word through his mind and comparing it to his close to nonexistent relationship with the green-eyed girl being discussed. "A friendly acquaintance," he said slowly, and at length.

The nurse had smiled knowingly. "Alright, dear, I'll go see if she's busy."

A few minutes later Sakura had walked in, smiled at him and greeted him, and gotten to work, and Neji had wondered whether she knew he had requested her specifically. If she did know, she didn't mention it, which had Neji was a bit grateful for.

After that Neji would usually request her to heal him, and they began having small, innocent conversations—they would discuss mutual acquaintances, recent events, and the extraordinary genes that would have resulted in Lee and Gai's impossibly bushy eyebrows.

Over time their conversations became more detailed and in depth, and Neji quickly came to realize that Sakura was an extremely intelligent individual. He noticed that she was interested in the Byakugan from a medical perspective, and told her all he could about it without breaching the Hyuuga Clan's code of maintaining the secrecy of their bloodline.

When he was sixteen and she fifteen, he invited her to train with him once his most recent injury was healed. She had accepted, and during their spar he had been on the receiving end of one good, solid punch to the jaw. He had flown backwards and hit his head on a tree, knocking him unconscious.

He had awoken to find her above him, healing his broken jaw. After the immense shock had worn off, a tidal wave of respect for her besieged him. She had talents outside of healing—talents he did not want her to unleash on him.

Sakura was a good friend of Hinata's, so he would often meet her at the Hyuuga Complex. Neji realized that he had come to regard her as a friend as well, and asked her one day to drop the polite, formal suffix she added to his name. She complied on the condition that he also dropped the honorific he referred to her with. And thus he became Neji and she Sakura.

He slowly became accustomed to the other aspects of her personality. She was comparatively quiet, but didn't hesitate to speak her mind. She had a ferocious temper that she rarely expressed, but once she was angry, he made it a point to stay out of her way. She was typically cheerful and in good spirits, and her sense of humor varied from bubbly and mockingly enthusiastic to dry and sarcastic. She was one of the extremely few people that could truthfully claim as being able to make him laugh on a semi-regular basis.

He didn't think about it often, but she was also quite pretty in a delicate, exotic way. Her hair was a pale enough pink that it was complimentary rather than offending, and her eyes were a lovely green.

Around a year ago he had begun to seek her out more than was usual for two young adults with busy schedules. He supposed it was then that he started to see her in a romantic light, as someone he wouldn't mind spending the rest of his life with. Neji was pragmatic and cool-headed enough to be thinking of marriage at the young age of twenty—shinobi did tend to marry young.

Unfortunately, his vague musings about a future with her were obstructed by the return of Uchiha Sasuke. At first Neji had been entirely displeased that Sakura was to be living with him, on the basis that if the Uchiha wanted to, he could easily hurt her.

His concern for her safety, however, quickly evaporated once he noticed the silent protection the black-haired youth offered her willingly, and a detached, clinical part of his mind noticed that she would probably be safer with Sasuke accompanying her everywhere—there were very few people in Konoha willing to pick a fight with him, and he had made it clear that anyone who picked a fight with Sakura was picking a fight with him.

What irritated him was how easily the traitor had returned to his teammate's good graces, how unalterably affectionate and trusting she was towards him. Neji had worked hard and long to consider himself one of her closest friends, and Sasuke had just walked back into her life and she just handed her friendship and acceptance to him on a silver platter.

Neji also disliked how Sasuke seemed to be able to influence her more. Since he came back, Sakura had been generally more cheerful and talkative. She seemed to genuinely enjoy just _being with _Sasuke, and the quiet, careful attention he gave her.

Neji, as perceptive as he was, could tell that Sasuke harbored affection towards Sakura, but he didn't think that Sasuke had any romantic interest in her. However, he knew that Sasuke disliked him, and if Neji approached Sakura in a romantic manner, he was sure that Sasuke would discourage Sakura from reciprocating Neji's feelings. There was a very good chance that Sasuke's disapproval would be enough to sway her.

What Neji was unsure of was Sakura's feelings toward Sasuke. She was just as protective of him as he was of her, but in a different way. Whenever one of the various residents would speak badly of the young Uchiha, she would step in front of him, as if to bodily shield him from insults and anger. She handled Sasuke with something almost akin to maternal care, while Sasuke treated her as if she were fragile and delicate. It was clear that Sasuke wasn't accustomed to being gentle, but for Sakura, he managed.

Neji determined that what Sakura felt for Sasuke was either very strong friendship or well-concealed love. He hoped it was the former.

--

Neji knocked politely on the door to Sakura's office in the Konoha Hospital.

A distant, vague "Come in" reached his ears, so he turned the knob and stepped into the room.

Predictably, Sasuke was on the sofa, as he had been every other time Neji had called on Sakura, and did not bother to look up when Neji entered. Curiously, however, the younger boy was reading a book and seemed to be rather engrossed in it.

Sakura was, of course, at her desk, poring over a horrifyingly large medical text. She looked up when Neji came to stand beside her desk and offered him a distracted smile. "Neji, hi," she intoned casually. "Did you need something…?"

One of the few things that irritated Neji about Sakura was her tendency to be completely absorbed in her work and to pay hardly any attention at all to someone trying to talk to her. Speaking to her at such times was undeniably frustrating, but Neji had found that he could draw her attention to himself if he approached it at the right angle.

"Sakura," he began, "some of our servants were dusting in our library when they stumbled upon some old medical volumes. I was wondering if you would like to come take a look at them later this afternoon." Sakura, he knew, had the oddest penchant for perusing dusty old medical texts for hours on end, and he was sure that she would jump at the chance to investigate what seemed to be original works.

Sakura gave him a small, apologetic smile, not the enthusiastic grin he had expected. "Sorry, Neji," she apologized. "Tsunade-sama has me researching this one disease, and I really don't have time for anything else today."

"Tomorrow, then?" Neji pressed readily.

Sakura shook her head. "I promised Sasuke-kun that I would spar with him after my shift tomorrow."

Neji glanced accusingly at the prone figure on the sofa, and could have sworn that the other boy's face was adorned with a smug smirk.

Neji frowned. Apparently Sakura was even more engrossed in her work than he had originally thought if the attraction of new reading material couldn't even entice her to bring her focus back to the world around her.

"Sakura."

Sakura glanced quizzically back at the youth on the sofa who had uttered her name. "Yes, Sasuke-kun?" she murmured.

"This book is stupid," the black-eyed boy said flatly, holding up the book he had been reading.

Sakura turned to him and said earnestly, "Sasuke-kun, you can't just declare it stupid if you're only on the third chapter."

"I'm not going to read more of it if I already know it's stupid," Sasuke scoffed.

Sakura frowned at him. "At least get to the seventh chapter—if you still think it's stupid then, you can stop reading it," she compromised.

"You are so annoying," Sasuke muttered. Neji found it rude, but Sakura obviously saw it as consent and bestowed a pleased smile upon the boy.

Neji noticed that during the brief exchange, her attention had been focused solely on Sasuke, and not on her work. The way that Sasuke was able to grab Sakura's attention so easily, and on such a mundane matter, frustrated Neji to no end.

What made Uchiha Sasuke so special, so exceptional in Sakura's eyes? In Neji's opinion the youth was just an arrogant, rude, foolish boy that seemed to take pleasure in interfering with Neji's intentions toward Sakura. What a bastard.

* * *

Um. Hi. (waves timidly) So, yeah...sorry.

Yes, this chapter is horribly late and horribly random and horribly OOC-ish, but I just realized that I have no idea what goes on in Neji's head but still felt the need to make an attempt at clarification of Neji's intentions towards Sakura. So, yeah.

My Internet is now working, but I'm paranoid that it's going to spazz at any moment, so just be aware that the next chapter could also be unforgivably late. ...Don't hurt me?

So:  
1) How did I do with Neji's POV?  
2) I saw a bus with an advertisement for Prince Caspian on it--FYI, BEN BARNES'S FACE. DUDE. If you here about a small blond girl stealing a bus, you'll know.  
3) If what Madara is currently saying is true, I will feel a bit guilty for my willful hatred towards Itachi. I will always regard him as a bastard, though, Just Because I Can. Two words: BITE ME.  
4) Has anyone read the manga Air Gear? (Hey, Agito-kun, will you marry me?)  
5) I also want to marry Mr. Darcy and Jasper Cullen and Ben Barnes and a whole host of other people (all male, if you _must _know. Wonder how that's gonna work out...  
6) Am I the only person who, in the middle of the Twilight movie, is going to end up randomly screaming "NO CEDRIC, DON'T DIE!"?  
7) I want a taco.  
8) You know who can't have a taco?  
9) CEDRIC.  
10) Because he's _dead. _

Fear me. FEAR, dammit.


	12. Chapter 12

**Everything Is Alright**

That night Sasuke woke around one AM when he heard a muffled clatter come from somewhere else in the house. He immediately checked for Sakura's chakra signature in her room, and felt a brief flare of panic when he realized she wasn't there.

He searched the rest of the house rapidly and only relaxed when he located Sakura somewhere around the kitchen. He had some amount of trouble seeking her chakra, as it seemed to be depleted greatly.

Disentangling himself from the blankets on his bed, he swung his legs down to the cold hardwood floor and sighed gustily before ambling towards the kitchen to find out what exactly Sakura was doing at such an unseemly hour.

He found her sitting cross-legged on the kitchen floor, scrubbing furiously at a pot. Scattered across the floor were other such kitchen utensils that were separated, it seemed, into two categories: those that had already been polished and those that hadn't.

"Sakura," Sasuke mumbled groggily, "why are you scrubbing pots?"

Sakura made a noncommittal noise and otherwise didn't respond.

She was in her sleep-attire of pajama pants and a camisole, and Sasuke's keen eyesight enabled him to see goose-bumps raised along the exposed flesh of her arms and her almost imperceptible shivering.

Sasuke sighed a second time and padded out to the living room where he grabbed a blanket that had been hanging off a chair. He brought it back to the kitchen, where he arranged it around Sakura's shoulders before sitting down beside her.

Sakura pulled the soft material closer and hummed gratefully.

During the months that he had been living with her, Sasuke had learned that he could tell Sakura's state of mind by her sleep patterns. Typically she slept deeply, but once in a while, if she was upset, angry, or ill at ease, she would be unable to sleep and would instead seek out mundane, repetitive tasks to keep her occupied.

"What's bothering you?" he asked at length.

Sakura paused for quite a time before she breathed out slowly. "I don't really want to talk about it right now."

Fair enough. Sasuke accepted her response and let the matter drop as he laid his head on her shoulder, inhaling her scent of lavender and lilacs quietly.

An hour later, when Sasuke's eyelids were drooping and Sakura's ministrations were slowing, he noticed drowsily that Sakura's hands were bleeding.

…Sakura's hands were bleeding. Instantly awake, Sasuke grabbed both of her hands in his own and examined them.

They were chafed badly and bleeding sluggishly from the steel-wool she'd been using.

Alarmed, Sasuke looked to Sakura's face. She was clearly tired and staring at her hands blankly. "Huh," she murmured.

"Sakura!" he admonished angrily. "You can't just destroy your hands like this!"

"Hmm…" Sakura responded distantly, before yawning and attempting to stand.

Sasuke pulled her down and hissed, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Bed," Sakura mumbled.

Sasuke shook his head emphatically. "Not until you heal your hands."

"Can't," she yawned, "I used up basically all of my chakra on a patient."

Well, screw that. Sasuke got to his feet. "You stay right there," he ordered sternly, before flash-stepping to the bathroom. Rummaging through the basket of medical supplies under the sink, he eventually found a roll of bandages and a small tube of antiseptic.

After hurrying back to the girl he had left in the kitchen, he knelt by her and took her left hand. Squirting out a small amount of antiseptic, he began to rub the ointment methodically into her skin.

Sakura let out a small noise of protest when the antiseptic contacted her open wounds and tried to squirm away from him. Sasuke pinned her to his side with his arm, but rubbed it in more gently.

After that task was performed, he began to clumsily wrap the bandages around her hands. The ending result was sloppy, but good enough for some god-forsaken hour of the morning.

He glanced at Sakura and noticed that her eyelids were fluttering and her head bobbing—she was drifting in and out of sleep.

Exhaling softly, he pulled her as gently as he could to her feet. She swayed unsteadily, so he wrapped an arm around her shoulders in order to brace her weight against his side. Slowly, he led the slim girl to her room and deposited her in her bed, tucking the comforter up to her shoulders.

Sakura's eyes were already closed when she mumbled, "Th'nk you, S'suke-kun."

"Sleep," he murmured, and the girl immediately did his bidding, though he had a feeling it was more of her body's volition than any desire to follow his orders.

Sparing one final glance at the peacefully sleeping girl, he turned out the light and headed to his own bedroom.

--

"Sakura, get up. You're going to be late again."

Sakura mashed her face into her pillow and didn't answer him.

Sasuke breathed out sharply and shook her shoulder. "Come on, Sakura. Wake _up_."

"Whatimizzit?" Sakura slurred, yawning largely.

"7:30."

Sakura moaned and mashed her face further into the pillow.

"You little twerp," Sasuke muttered, irritated.

"'M not little. That's size discrimination, buddy," Sakura mumbled as she slowly sat up, rubbing at her eyes with small fists.

"No, it was a statement of a fact," Sasuke corrected frankly.

"Screw you."

"What, you can't come up with anything better than that?" Sasuke smirked condescendingly.

"I'll come up with a better retort and get back to you," Sakura yawned. She stood up gradually and scowled when the top of her head only came up to Sasuke's collar-bone. "Get out of my room, you freakishly tall person."

Sasuke smirked. "The truth of the matter is that you're freakishly short."

"I will sell you to a freak show, you see if I won't," she threatened, pointedly ignoring his jibe. "People will be lining up left, right and center in order to catch a glimpse of 'He of Freakishly Tall Proportions, Made Only Taller by His Stupid and Spiky Hair That Looks like a Chicken's Ass.'"

"You're always in a horrible mood in the morning," Sasuke remarked brazenly as he was shoved out of the room.

"It's part of my charm. Did I mention I'm charming?"

"You've touched upon it once or twice in passing," Sasuke answered solemnly.

She offered him a sleepy grin and shut the door. Sasuke smirked and sat down on the couch in the living room, waiting for her to reappear.

Twenty minutes later Sakura emerged, attired in black leggings, a navy blue skirt, and a light gray shirt. She was attempting to put her hair up in a ponytail, but was hindered by the thick wrapping of bandages around her hands.

Sasuke observed her struggles for a minute before beckoning her over to the couch. She came, frowning at him in confusion.

Sasuke tugged her down so that she was sitting in front if him and took the hair-elastic from her, batting her hands away from her hair. "Here," he muttered as he carefully smoothed her glossy hair into a neat ponytail and wound the elastic around it.

Sakura reached up gingerly to inspect his work and murmured, "Thanks, Sasuke-kun."

"Hn."

Sakura stood and offered him a hand. He took it and she helped him to his feet. "Let's go, Sasuke-kun—to the hospital!"

"What are you so enthusiastic about?" Sasuke grumbled.

Sakura shrugged. "What are you so _un_enthusiastic about? For all you know, today could be the day you win the lottery, or get your disturbingly white skin to _tan_, or finally get your hair to lie down flat." To emphasize, she reached up and ruffled the spikes at the back of his head.

Sasuke glowered at her. "At least my hair's a normal, _orthodox _color."

"My hair is not orthodox because _I _am not orthodox," Sakura asserted breezily. "I am liberal, with a dash of flair and a touch of zippity-_pow_."

"_You_ are annoying," Sasuke informed her without any venom.

"And _you _are annoying when you say that _I _am annoying," Sakura countered blithely.

Sasuke stepped closer to her so that he could intentionally loom over her. "Don't make me come down there," he threatened.

Sakura stuck her tongue out at him. "Don't make me tell Naruto you're being mean to me. He'll beat you up, see if he won't."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

Sakura smirked at him in satisfaction. "See, you're so terrified you can't even vocalize a response."

"Twerp," Sasuke muttered under his breath, realizing the futility in continuing an argument with the extraordinarily stubborn girl.

--

That evening when they returned to the manor, Sasuke headed for his room but paused when a small hand tugged at his sleeve. He turned around to find Sakura eyeing him uncertainly.

"Sasuke-kun…" she began. "You know the garden around the side of the house?"

"Yeah," Sasuke admitted disinterestedly.

She bit her lip. "Would it be alright if I planted some vegetables in it?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Do what you want."

She still appeared unsure. "So it won't, you know…" She made some vague gestures with her hands, struggling to say something. "…You know?" she finished lamely.

Sasuke understood what she was getting at: she wanted to know if renewed use of the garden would bring back any unpleasant memories. She had no need to worry; Sasuke only associated warm afternoons spent with his mother with the garden. Although this left him feeling slightly melancholy and nostalgic, it was nothing he couldn't handle.

He tapped his fist to her forehead. "I'm fine," he assured her quietly.

She offered him a warm smile. "I'm glad," she whispered, before standing up as tall as she could to place a soft, chaste kiss to his forehead. "Goodnight, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke nodded. "Go to bed."

She waved a hand halfheartedly. "I will, I will."

"Sakura," he warned.

"You are so _pushy_," she muttered.

"You are such a _twerp_," Sasuke mocked.

She sneered playfully at him and shut the door to her room. Sasuke sighed, a wry quirk to his mouth, and entered his room as well.

* * *

So...I have no excuse. Well, actually I do; it involves an evil stepsister that I have recently found myself saddled with. This is the reason that I have decided to move out of my dad's house, cross the state border, and live with my mom (this may not sound like a big deal, but I've lived in the same town for all but the first two years of my life, so this is pretty drastic for me). Anyway, enough about my family issues.

I realize this is short and shamefully late. It's short because my muse has taken a holiday, and it's late because when I first wrote it was disgustingly fluffy, so I had to rewrite it. It still is disgustingly fluffy, but at least it's less than it was. I'm telling you, the original version appalled me. It looked like I was on crack when I wrote it--which I am not, thankyouverymuch. I am 100 percent drug and alcohol free. I am also thirteen. Boo-rah.

Unrelated:

1) SASUKE HAS GONE BANANAS--in the manga, that is. That crazy son of a muffin. SAKURA, WHERE ARE YOU WHEN HE NEEDS YOU MOST?!  
2) I drew a muffin-family tree during my free period today.  
3) Prince Caspian (the movie): I thought the actual movie was pretty lame and predictable, BUT BEN BARNES PWNED. LIKE, SERIOUSLY. HIS CLOAK BILLOWED. IF THAT IS NOT AWESOME, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS.  
4) World War III: it's gonna happen. And you know what? It's gonna be the (awesome) tacos against the (godless) enchiladas. Fajitas, of course, will be neutral (Switzerland). Ho yeah.  
5) Anna Nalick rocks the world.  
6) In a fight between Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris, who would win? (This was a bonus on my world cultures test).  
7) Awkward turtle.

(sidles up to reader) Hey--hey you. Yeah, you with the computer. (conspiratorially) Wanna buy a towel?

...It's a fund-raiser thing.


	13. Chapter 13

**Everything Is Alright**

Tsunade woke to her former apprentice shaking her shoulder gingerly. "Shishou, time to get up…you have forms to sign, Genin to send on menial tasks…"

Tsunade gradually straightened from where she had been slumped over her desk in the Hokage's office, a few stray papers sticking to her cheek. "Sakura," she moaned. "Can't you let a woman sleep?"

Sakura eyed her skeptically. "Shishou, it is 8:30 in the morning. Officially, your job as Hokage began half an hour ago."

"Time is relative," Tsunade grumbled. She looked up to see Sasuke standing behind Sakura, a disinterested expression on his face. "Ah, well, it seems I have an unusual guest. My, my, Sasuke, this is a surprise. I'd begun to think you were as much of a recluse as Kakashi."

Sasuke offered a disdainful grunt, but otherwise chose not to respond. Tsunade smirked. "So, to what do I owe this early morning visit?" she inquired of the green-eyed girl standing in front of her desk.

"Do you mind if I take the afternoon off today?" Sakura asked.

Tsunade stared at her. "_You _want to take an afternoon off?"

"No, actually, when I said 'I', that was a reference to my nonexistent goldfish. My nonexistent goldfish would like to take the afternoon off." Tsunade said nothing. Sakura sighed. "Yes, I would like to take the afternoon off. What's the big deal?"

Tsunade raised both of her eyebrows. "I can't even remember the last time you left half an hour early—hell, I can't even remember the last time you put in less than a ten-hour day."

"Well, the say the memory is the first thing to go…" Sakura muttered under her breath.

Tsunade scowled. "Careful, kid, I could have you filing papers for a month."

"Yes, you could," Sakura allowed, before adding brightly, "but I'm far too valuable as a medic for you to actually go through with that threat."

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I see far too much of myself in you. Yes, you may take the afternoon off. Any specific reason?" she asked curiously.

Sakura shrugged in a casual manner. "Errands to run, paychecks to spend. You know."

"If you say so…" Tsunade murmured slowly. "Is that it, then?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Shishou. See ya." Sakura exited the room with Sasuke trailing nonchalantly behind her.

The pair's visit left Tsunade with a lot to think about. She had gotten reports from various sources that the two were very close. From the brief bits she'd seen and the various things she'd been told, Sasuke was very fond and protective of Tsunade's favorite young ninja. Since Sasuke's return, Sakura's mood was usually a bit more upbeat, and more of her smiles sincere, as opposed to the bland ones she had often pasted on in order to hide from the world.

Tsunade was sincerely pleased to see her former apprentice happy, but she couldn't help but worry. Perhaps a month and a half ago Kakashi had mentioned to her that Sasuke seemed to regard Sakura as an object of interest, a puzzle he could work out. She couldn't blame him; Sakura was a genuinely interesting and quirky person. But what would happen when or if Sasuke grew bored with her?

Tsunade now believed that Sasuke's affection was deep-rooted enough to linger if or when that happened, but would he be _as _affectionate? And when the year was over and Sasuke was no longer obligated to stay with Sakura, how would that alter their relationship? It was a great transition to go from "constant companions" to "friends who encountered each other once in a while". Because, Tsunade had both noticed and been told, Sasuke was a solitary individual. How often would he take the time and effort to spend time with Sakura after the year was up?

And how deeply would it affect Sakura if or when that happened? It had virtually destroyed her when Sasuke left. Of course this wouldn't be nearly anything of that magnitude, but Tsunade knew Sakura well enough to determine that Sakura would see it as "losing" Sasuke again, at least subconsciously.

Tsunade sighed and rubbed at her temples. God, it was only 9 AM and she needed alcohol.

--

That afternoon found Sasuke trailing along behind Sakura as she browsed through the herb and garden section of the market, inspecting the merchandise and speaking cheerfully with the merchants.

One merchant she greeted specifically. "Hello, Ryoko-san!" she called to an elderly woman sitting in a chair behind a stand with a sign proclaiming: HEALING BALMS. The woman looked up as Sakura, and by default Sasuke, came to a halt in front of the stand.

"Ah, if it isn't Sakura-chan," the old woman said. She glanced behind Sakura at Sasuke, who had jammed his hands in his pockets and was gazing vaguely off into the distance in as his way of communicating his lack of interest in his current location. "And who is this strapping young lad?" the woman, Ryoko, queried.

"This is Sasuke-kun. Sasuke-kun, say hello," Sakura instructed.

"Hn."

"That means 'Hello, nice to meet you,' in Sasuke-speak," Sakura informed Ryoko. Sasuke made a half-hearted swipe at the green-eyed girl's head but she ducked out of the way at the last moment. Nonplussed, Sasuke stuck his hand back in his pocket and resumed his Portrayal of Disinterest.

Ryoko cackled. Sakura picked up a jar of healing balm and examined it with clinical interest. Sasuke noticed that there were only a few jars left. It appeared all the others had been sold.

"Your balms sell very well, Sakura-chan," Ryoko said. "People pay good money for products that actually work."

Sakura smiled. "I'm glad to know they work. Thank you for selling them."

Ryoko waved a dismissive hand. "I'm getting thirty-five percent of the profit, so there's no need to thank me, dearie."

Sakura shrugged and put the jar down. "Sasuke-kun and I are looking at garden supplies. I'll see you later, Ryoko-san."

The woman waved, and Sakura made her way back into the mainly garden-oriented part of the market. Sasuke lengthened his stride a bit so that they were side by side and asked curiously, "Those were your balms?"

Sakura blinked. "Oh, yeah. When I have spare time I crush herbs together into a balm and infuse it with healing chakra. Ryoko-san sells them for me and we split the profit."

"I didn't know you could infuse chakra into things," Sasuke mused.

She eyed him. "Sure you did. You know there are chakra weapons, right? You've most likely used some. A few weapons are composed entirely of chakra, but most are just infused with it. You can actually infuse chakra into most things."

Sasuke digested this information as Sakura stopped at a flower stand. Frowning, she turned to him and asked, "Daisies or tulips, Sasuke-kun?" Sasuke stared at her blankly, and Sakura grinned. "Both, good choice."

She handed the woman running the stand a few folded bills and selected a few already grown daisies and tulips, loading them onto a cart, which she generously allowed Sasuke to pull.

After a moment, "I'm too old for that, you know."

Sakura squinted at him. "Too old to pull a cart?"

Sasuke shook his head distractedly. "Sasuke-_kun_. I'm too old for it."

Sakura came to a complete stand-still and stared at him. Sasuke stopped as well and regarded her speculatively. He couldn't see why she was so surprised; she should have already known.

Her expression solemn, Sakura took a long pause before replying. "For as long as his hair sticks up and his sentences are short, Sasuke-kun will always be Sasuke-kun." She broke into a wide grin and tugged on one of the short locks of hair hanging by his head before turning back to her shopping.

Sasuke scowled with no real anger and pushed his hair out of his face. It didn't really matter, he supposed, keeping an eye on Sakura as she wandered. The honorific didn't bother him, precisely. He just found it a bit odd that after all that she had grown and matured, she persisted in the affectionate suffix of their childhood. Still, it was a bit reassuring to have that small reminder of the girl Sakura had once been, now that she was so different.

Shaking himself out of his musings, Sasuke approached Sakura, who was checking the leaves of a small plant Sasuke couldn't identify. "It's mint," Sakura said in response to his questioning gaze.

Sasuke's brow furrowed. "So exactly what kind of garden are you planning?" he asked.

"Herbs are the main priority, but I'll sector off places for vegetables and flowers too," Sakura answered.

Sasuke opened his mouth, but Sakura cut him off. "And yes, I'm going to get tomato plants," she said in exasperation. "Sometimes you are just obscenely predictable, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke glowered at her. "That wasn't my question," he lied. Thinking quickly, he asked, "Have you had experience with gardening?"

Sakura faltered just a bit while handing money to the attendant. "…Yeah," she said. "My mother has a garden. She hired a gardener to look after it. I played out there a lot, and the gardener, Asazuki-san, would show me how to do a lot of the stuff."

Seeing that he had touched upon a delicate subject, Sasuke fell and remained silent for the duration of the shopping trip. However, just when they were leaving the market, a man approached them. "You're Uchiha Sasuke, aren't you?" he asked, addressing Sasuke.

Sasuke nodded cautiously, sensing an unpleasant aura from the man.

The man stepped forward until he and Sasuke were as close to eye-to-eye as they could be (Sasuke was slightly taller) and took a swing uppercut to Sasuke's jaw. The punch never connected, however, because Sasuke stepped to the side fluidly, neatly avoiding the blow.

Eyes narrowed, Sasuke asked coldly, "Is that it, then?"

The man spat on the ground in front of the young Uchiha. "Rot in hell, traitor." He turned to Sakura, who had watched the little scene unfold with something like weary sadness on her face. "You too, girl. You should know better than to support a bastard that betrayed his village."

Sasuke was about to demand that he leave Sakura out of it when Sakura laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Sasuke-kun," she murmured softly. Speaking more loudly, she addressed the man. "Please leave before I report your actions to the Godaime. She does not tolerate uncalled-for violence."

The man sneered at her. "Ooh, I'm so scared." Still, he left quickly.

Sakura sighed and removed her hand from Sasuke's shoulder. "You okay?" she asked him tiredly. The encounter with the man seemed to have drained her energy and happiness, which further fueled the mounting anger within Sasuke's chest.

Voicing the emotions that had been pent-up within him for months, he hissed, "I'm just so sick of people thinking that insulting me is going to do anything. If they have a problem with me, why don't they just leave me alone? And they have no right to take it out on _you_," he scowled.

Sakura listened quietly, and when he was done she took his hand and led him gently onto the path that would take them home. "I know, Sasuke-kun," she said after a moment. "You would really hope that people were more mature. Still, they have a right to be angry. By defecting from the village and going to Orochimaru, you placed the entirety of Konoha in danger."

"And," she went on, "In their eyes, I'm probably not much better. To be associating with and defending you must seem like treason to them."

"But you're only doing that because the Hokage assigned you to," Sasuke argued.

Sakura sighed. "People don't care for technicalities, Sasuke-kun. And besides, even if Tsunade-sama hadn't, I'd still spend time with you and defend you because you're my friend. A little thing like betrayal has no effect on friendship," she said wryly.

Sasuke frowned at her. "But it should," he said quietly.

Sakura shook her head firmly. "Sasuke-kun is Sasuke-kun, and I don't think that Sasuke-kun ever had any real ill-intent towards me, or Naruto, or Konoha. I don't think you would have ever seriously hurt Naruto or me. That's what I believe."

"You must have been angry when I left, though," Sasuke felt compelled to point out. "Or upset, or something. You can't tell me that you were just okay with it."

"Oh, I went through phases," Sakura admitted breezily. "Of being upset and angry, I mean. Throw in about as many other negative emotions as you can think of and you have my life for about the first five months after you left."

"What happened after that?"

Sakura paused for a minute. "I guess I just realized it didn't matter—how I felt. Emotions weren't going to bring you back. I decided that crying or sulking or brooding weren't going to have any effect and that if I really wanted to bring you back, I'd have to actually work for it."

Sakura squeezed his hand. "Anyway, just hang in there, Sasuke-kun. People will eventually warm up to you once they realize what an utterly charming and intellectually-stimulating conversationalist you are."

When they were standing outside the door to the manor and Sakura was about to open it, Sasuke grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

She looked at him puzzled. "Sasuke-kun…?"

"Sakura," Sasuke began. "I…" _I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. I never wanted to put you through so much trouble. Not for me. Thank you for everything you've done up until now._

Sakura kissed his forehead. "I know, Sasuke-kun. Don't give yourself an aneurysm. I know words don't come easily to you."

…Twerp.

* * *

So... I wrote this chapter last night in about an hour, so if it's random and stupid and horrible, don't blame me. I don't know who else you can blame, but don't blame me. So there.

For those of you who don't know from the last chapter, Anna Nalick is a totally amazing singer/songwriter. The two songs of hers that I like the most are Breathe (2 AM) and Paper Bag. You can listen to them on Youtube. Just because some people were wondering.

I've had a terrible day, so that'll be it (miraculously short author's note). I'm gonna go lie in bed and feel sorry for myself now.


	14. Chapter 14

**Everything Is Alright**

"I should probably be more surprised than I am," was the first thing that Sakura said when Sasuke and Naruto stumbled into the living room of the Uchiha manor, drenched and shivering. Aside from a few bruises and scrapes, Naruto was no worse for wear, but Sasuke was clutching his heavily bleeding left arm.

Naruto watched as Sakura set down the medical text she had been reading and approached them, her expression speaking of weary exasperation. She put her hands on her hips and stared them down. "Well? Would one of you big, tough ninjas care to explain to me why a simple sparring match ended in this?" she probed, gesturing to the seriously injured Sasuke, who glowered as if he had been personally insulted.

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck and laughed uneasily. "Now, now, Sakura-chan—did I mention you look particularly pretty today? Because you do. Really. Very pretty—not that you aren't _always _very pretty, because you are, I'm just saying that—"

"Naruto," Sakura intoned, deceptively calm.

He blanched. "Er, right. See, it's like this: we were sparring and it was completely normal, except it started pouring, but we decided to keep going anyway, and then the bastard over there got this funny look in his eyes, and, like, _completely _zoned out, but I didn't notice that until after I threw a couple of kunai at him, and he just _stood there_." He said this all in one breath, and then glared at Sasuke. "So, really, Sakura-chan, if you're going to punch anyone, it really should be him. It's all his fault."

His assertion of fault fell upon uncaring ears, however, because Sakura was already sitting Sasuke down on the couch and inspecting his wound critically. While Sakura was looking away Sasuke shot a smug glance at Naruto, and Naruto was sure that if Sasuke had been anyone other than Sasuke, the other boy would have been chanting: _She like me better, she likes me better_.

"You're both soaked," Sakura murmured as she began healing Sasuke's arm. "Naruto, why don't you go take a shower? And I'm sure some of Sasuke-kun's clothes would fit you."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Sakura!" he said indignantly.

Sakura gave him a level look. "Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke scowled and shifted his position so that Sakura could get better access to his wound, in the process burying his face in her shoulder, almost sulkily. Sakura rolled her eyes fondly and continued to heal him. Naruto observed this brief exchange, grinning, before grabbing clean clothes for Sasuke's room—completely boring clothes, composed entirely of dreary colors, he might add—and taking a long, hot shower.

When he emerged from the bathroom thirty minutes later, refreshed and in desperate need of food, he was pleased to find Sakura setting out tea and ramen on the dining room table.

"Sakura-chan, you're the best!" Naruto exclaimed as he bounded towards to the green-eyed girl, swinging her up into his arms and spinning her around three times. When he set the protesting girl back on her feet, he frowned.

"Sakura-chan…" he said slowly, "has your weight changed?"

Two seconds later he was reeling from the vicious uppercut she dealt him. "No, no!" he assured, raising his hands defensively. "I mean it seems like you've _lost _weight." Sakura's eye was still twitching dangerously. "Um…please don't hurt me…"

She blew her bangs out of her eyes in exasperation. "Whatever, Naruto. Just eat your ramen."

Glad he had escaped that little scenario with only minimal damage, Naruto sat down at the table eagerly. He heard Sakura calling Sasuke to the table and realized that Sasuke must have taken a shower in one of the other bathrooms after Sakura finished healing him.

Sure enough, when Sasuke walked in and sat carelessly at the table, a towel hanging around his neck, he was wearing different clothes and his hair was wet. Sakura tugged at one of the damp locks hanging around his face. "You'll catch a cold if you don't dry your hair properly," she informed him disapprovingly.

Sasuke sighed in an "I Can't Believe I Put Up With You" way and used the towel around his neck to dry his hair further. After he was finished, Sakura ran a hand through his hair and was apparently sufficiently satisfied, because she too sat down at the table.

They ate it in a comfortable silence for a while. Naruto was busy stuffing food into his mouth, and he knew better than to speak with his mouth full around Sakura; Sakura herself looked tired and preoccupied; and, well, Sasuke was Sasuke.

When Naruto had eaten his fill for the moment, he looked at the young medic sitting across from him and cleared his throat.

Sakura, fiddling with her chopsticks, said absently, "Naruto, if you're choking, I'm not getting up to give you the Heimlich. Just so we're all clear." Sasuke smirked and took another sip of tea.

Naruto glared at the other boy. "Uh, that's not it, Sakura-chan. I was actually wondering if sometime this week you could talk to Hinata-chan."

Sakura's eyes snapped up instantly. "Why, is she okay? Is it about Hiashi-sama? Neji? Hanabi?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, nothing like that. You know that the Hyuuga elders are considering finding a new heir if Hinata-chan doesn't live up to their expectations when the ambassador from Amegakure, right?"

Sakura stared at him blankly. "Uh, no."

Naruto stared back at her. "Seriously? Everyone's talking about it."

Sakura shrugged noncommittally. "I haven't really talked to anyone recently," she said evasively.

Naruto glared accusingly at Sasuke. "Bastard, you've been letting her lock herself in her office all day, haven't you?" He had thought that Sasuke would be getting Sakura out of the hospital more.

Sasuke glared back at him and made to retort, but Sakura beat him to it. "It's not Sasuke-kun's fault. And I haven't been locking myself in my office, anyway. I've just been busy lately, okay? That's it. I wish people would stop going on at me about it." She said that last bit in an almost defensive way, Naruto noticed. He decided not to press her about it that day, but he was definitely going to talk to her about it some other time.

Naruto had been out of the village almost constantly in the past couple of months. He had currently been back for about a week, and had been startled when Sakura wasn't there to greet him at the gates. He learned that Sakura hadn't even known about his return, having shut herself in her office, away from the world, with her books and charts and scrolls and papers. He had asked around about it and found out that barely anyone had seen her recently, unless they had been in the hospital getting healed by her. However, they all told Naruto the same thing: when they did see her, she looked pale and thin and tired, as Naruto noticed himself.

Frankly, it scared him a little bit. When he had returned to Konoha at fifteen, he had found the young, weak girl he had known to have changed dramatically. The girl that had been waiting for him had been self-assured and talented and ready to take on the world. She had been calm and pragmatic and competent, taking most everything in stride and always ready to lend a helping hand.

Now it seemed she was changing again. She was tired constantly, with permanent shadows under her eyes. She seemed overwhelmed and overworked; stressed and pressured. He had spoken to Tsunade about it, and the Hokage had told him that Sakura had indeed bitten off more than she could chew, both in the hospital and in her work outside of it. However, the Godaime had assured him that in time Sakura would realize just how much was too much and lighten her workload herself. It seemed that time had not come, though.

Naruto was broken out of his thoughts by Sakura's voice. "Naruto, would you care to join us back in the world of the sentient now?"

He blinked. "Er, sorry, Sakura-chan," he apologized awkwardly.

She waved a hand dismissively. "So, what were you saying about Hinata?" she queried while gathering up the dirty dishes and putting them in the sink. Sasuke rose to assist her.

"Oh! Yeah. Would you mind talking to her? The thing with the elders is really worrying her and stressing her out, and I think talking to you would help her. So, will you?" Naruto asked, handing some dishes to Sakura.

"Of course I will," Sakura assured him sincerely. "I'm not really sure what I can say to her, but I'll give it a shot."

"That's all I ask, Sakura-chan," Naruto told her. Honestly, he felt bad about asking her to do this when she was already so busy, but he felt it was necessary. By getting all worked up over it, Hinata was setting herself up for failure, and Naruto refused to let her self-destruct. Sakura had a way of relieving people from their troubles, of putting them at ease. Unfortunately, Naruto thought, it was quite frequently at the price of Sakura taking those troubles as her own. He fervently hoped that wouldn't be the case this time.

When they were done with the dishes, Sakura went to her room to get something and Sasuke lay down on the couch and closed his eyes. Sakura returned from her room a minute later and poked him. "Shove over, you."

Sasuke looked superbly irritated by her interruption of his nap, but grudgingly shifted to leave room for her. She sat down, and Naruto deduced that Sasuke couldn't be too angry at her, because as soon as she was settled he rested his head on her shoulder, much as he had done while she was healing his arm. "If you fall asleep and drool on me, I'll kill you," Sakura warned, but otherwise left him to his own devices as she started writing something.

Figuring that it was best to wait out the rain before leaving for his apartment, Naruto decided to have a little bit of fun by pushing Sasuke's buttons. He approached the pair on the couch and sat down on Sakura's left side, the one Sasuke wasn't occupying. Yawning widely, he nestled his own head on her shoulder.

Immediately, Sasuke's eyes snapped open to glare balefully at him. "Idiot, don't you have somewhere to be?"

Naruto stuck his tongue out at him. "Nope. I took the day off to spend time with my dear Sakura-chan."

"_Your dear Sakura-chan_ is going to slug the both of you if you don't shut up while she's working," the girl threatened.

Sasuke made a disgruntled noise in the back of his throat and closed his eyes once again, looking for all the world like a small child curled up beside his mother. Naruto followed suit.

Around an hour and a half later the rain ceased and Naruto deemed it time to go home. He sighed and stood up, stretching his legs. Sakura stood as well, leaving a sullen Sasuke with nowhere to rest his head.

Sakura hugged him. "Do you know where your next mission is?"

He returned her embrace. "Kirigakure, I think."

Sakura nodded. "Cool."

Naruto feigned hurt. "Sakura-chan, you can't be serious! They're sending me to such a messed-up hellhole."

Sakura considered this. "Remember to bring me back a souvenir."

Naruto laughed and ruffled her hair, which he knew she detested. "One severed head it is."

Sakura made a face and kissed his cheek. "See you, Naruto."

"Bye, Sakura-chan," Naruto returned, before turning to Sasuke. "Bastard, about your clothes—"

"Don't return them. Burn them," Sasuke instructed flatly.

Sakura rolled her eyes at him, but she was grinning. "Stop being so dramatic."

--

After Naruto left, Sakura looked at Sasuke and asked cautiously, "So Naruto said that you 'zoned out' while sparring."

Sasuke shrugged. He had gotten caught up in thinking about what Sakura had said to him that day in the attic, which had happened to him periodically. Still, being that careless was completely unacceptable and he fully intended not to let it happen again. And he didn't want to talk about it, either.

Sakura got the message and let it drop, but Sasuke caught her looking at him speculatively, worriedly. Guilt weighed heavily upon his chest.

--

That night, when Sasuke glanced into Sakura's room to see if she had fallen asleep at her desk—a habit of his now—he was dismayed but not surprised to see that she had.

He entered her bedroom and gently picked the girl up and carried her to her bed, arranging her errant limbs meticulously and pulling the covers up to her chin. As he did so, he noticed a bright red rash trailing up the length of Sakura's arm.

Frowning, he mused upon what could have caused it. Sakura hadn't mentioned being allergic to anything. He pushed aside his concerns; Sakura was a medic, something trivial like a rash wasn't consequential for her.

Still, he couldn't help but worry about her.

* * *

So...hi? Erm, yeah. I have no excuse. Think what you will.

Sorry if Naruto seems OOC. I can never write Naruto well when he's being serious. And he's in a relationship with Hinata, in case I didn't make that clear, which I probably didn't. Eheheh...yeah. And I know this is a total filler. Shut up. Some parts are important, though. So there.

ALSO. I am now fourteen. I actually turned fourteen a while ago but forgot to mention it. Anyway. HAH. I am now officially old enough to--! ...To...well, this is crap.

Unrelated:  
1) Dating is Not Fun. I learned that tonight. Yugh.  
2) Apparently my mouth is "non-symmetrical," so I have to wear an elastic on one side of my mouth. As if braces weren't enough.  
3) SPOILER: You read chapter 308 yet? Sasuke is looking DAMN FINE in that cloak. I mean, I don't want him to wear it because Akatsuki is evil and Sasuke is digging himself deeper by joining them, but still.  
4) I want to encourage my fellow SasuSaku fans to have faith in these dark times. True love will prevail! ...And if it doesn't, we can all pretend it does and write fanfics about it. So it's all good.

(AND. MORGAN. I know you're reading this, and I'd just like to say, once and for all, THAT I DON'T CARE IF HE'S TWENTY-SIX, HE'S BEN BARNES AND HE'S HOT AND HE'S AWESOME AND YOU NEED TO SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP. P.S. I saw a moose once. It was cool. ...No, I will not get over it. Bite me.)


	15. Chapter 15

**Everything Is Alright**

"Sakura, you can't be serious. You're leaving the _idiot _to _baby-sit _me?" Sasuke glared sourly at the green-eyed girl facing him, feeling indignant and betrayed and _why didn't she feel bad about this?_

She sighed and adjusted the messenger-bag on her shoulder. "Sasuke-kun, you're being dramatic. Again. I'll only be gone for a few hours to check on Hiashi-sama and talk to Hinata. Naruto's just coming so that I don't violate the terms of your parole or whatever you want to call it. And no," she said, cutting him off, "you cannot come with me, because almost every time we go over there you find Neji and start glaring at him, and I really don't feel like dealing with your antics today. Okay?"

Sasuke stiffened, offended on a deep and personal level. "_Antics? _I—"

"_Am going to stay here like a good little criminal_," Sakura finished for him, cutting him off yet again. "Why are you making a big deal out of this? I thought you'd be glad to get me out of your—spiky, chicken-resembling—hair for a few hours." She frowned at him, speculative and confused.

Sasuke crossed and uncrossed his arms. "Not if you're leaving Naruto to watch me."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Need I remind you, yet again, that he's your best friend? Your teammate? Your comrade? Your brother in all but blood? Your fellow human bei—"

"Now who's being dramatic?" Sasuke interjected smugly.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Anyway, Naruto should be here pretty soon…" she muttered, staring down the walk that led to the Uchiha manor, where Naruto was supposed to meet them.

Sasuke immediately became sullen again, staring at her, looking for all the world like an abandoned, desolate child.

Sakura moaned when she saw his expression. "Sasuke-kun, stop that!" When his facial expression didn't flicker in the slightest, she sighed and stepped forward to wrap her arms around his torso and press her face into his chest.

Sasuke shifted so that her head was tucked under his chin, but otherwise made no move to return her embrace. Still, her gesture of affection appeased him to some degree. He inhaled her now-familiar scent and relaxed into the contours of her body.

After a few moments Sakura pulled away from him and stepped back a foot. "Sasuke-kun, you'll behave for Naruto, yes?" Her eyes gleamed wickedly, enjoying Sasuke's unfortunate and unseemly situation.

He glowered at her without feeling. "Shut up."

Naruto (along with his incredible, almost comic book-like timing) showed up at that moment, racing up the steps to where his two (former?) teammates stood.

He bent over, panting. "Sorry I'm late, Sakura-chan. There was this—"

"Save it," she exhaled resignedly. "No doubt you're going to use one of Kakashi-sensei's excuses. Really, Naruto, if you're going to adopt Sensei's habit of being late, you should at least have the decency to come up with your own lame excuses."

"But Sakur—" Naruto attempted to protest, but found himself interrupted once again.

"Stay here with Sasuke-kun and make sure he doesn't rape or pillage or plunder or make rude gestures or whatever it is the Council is worried about. Okay?" She tapped her foot expectantly.

Naruto sighed in defeat. "Yes, Sakura-chan."

She gave him a sunny smile and a peck on the cheek. "Good. I expect the manor to still be standing and the two of you lacking any broken bones when I get back, understand?"

"Yes, Sakura-chan," Naruto repeated dully, fully aware that anything he said at this point would get him nowhere with her.

She grinned and offered them a small wave. "See you, guys."

Sasuke eyed Naruto darkly. "Come back soon," he demanded of Sakura bleakly as he tapped his fist to her forehead.

--

The events following progressed as such: as soon as Sakura was out of sight, Naruto suggested that they strip down to their boxers and sit on the couch while scratching themselves as "quality male bonding." Sasuke promptly punched him, which soon turned into a sparring match. Their spar lasted for two hours, after which the two fairly evenly matched opponents dropped to lie on the grass. Naruto imparted with Sasuke an incredibly long-winded account of an incident involving Shizune's pet pig and a deceptive all-expenses-paid trip to the ramen stand with Kakashi. When it was finished, and after Sasuke made one or two snarky and derogatory comments, they just lied in silence for a while, and Sasuke really did remember why his bond with the blond was so strong. Not that he'd ever admit it, not even to Sakura.

Sakura returned about three and a half hours after she left—only she wasn't alone. Neji walked beside her, less than a foot separating the pair. They were talking amiably, and at one point Neji laid his hand on Sakura's shoulder.

Sasuke shot to his feet and stalked towards the two, Naruto following him a beat later. It was Naruto that called out, "Hey, Neji! What're you doing here?"

Sakura answered him. "Neji offered to walk me back," she explained, frowning slightly as if this displeased her in some way. Her expression settled back into friendly and relaxed a moment later, however.

Sasuke stopped his irate march when he was standing right behind her, from where he glared at Neji over Sakura's head. Neji returned Sasuke's look with one of contempt and dislike. "Sasuke," Neji greeted coldly. He turned to Naruto, and in a much warmer, friendlier tone, greeted the blond boy as well.

Naruto's eyes flicked back and forth between Sasuke and Neji, having noticed their unfriendly exchange of looks. It had all gone (literally) over Sakura's head, however, and her gaze flickered between all three of the boys surrounding her, puzzled and unnerved by the atmosphere, which was both hostile and awkward in parts.

Sasuke placed his hand exactly where Neji's hand had been on her shoulder to reassure her wordlessly. Indeed, he felt her tense muscles relax considerably as the young medic was soothed by his presence and silent support.

Naruto decided to head off disaster. "Hey, Neji, I think Tsunade-baachan has some new information on our mission to Kirigakure. Let's go see."

Neji glanced at Sakura, then at Sasuke, and exhaled sharply. "Alright." He turned to face Sakura fully. "Goodbye, Sakura. I'll see you soon?"

"Uh, I guess," she replied. "Bye, Neji." The pale-eyed boy directed a stiff nod to Sasuke before setting off with Naruto after the blue-eyed boy hugged Sakura quickly and punched Sasuke in the shoulder.

When the two males disappeared from sight, Sakura turned slightly so that she could see his face. Her movement reminded Sasuke that his hand was still on her shoulder. He removed it and shoved both of his hands in his pockets.

Sakura regarded him carefully. "What was that all about, with you and Neji? I know you guys don't like each other, but it got really weird for a while, there."

Sasuke shrugged noncommittally. "It's nothing. Forget about it."

She clearly didn't believe him, but agreed to let the subject drop as she gazed thoughtfully at the path winding into the trees that they were standing near. "Hey, do you want to go on a walk?"

Sasuke hesitated, even thought he knew that if Sakura wanted to go somewhere, he had no choice. Still, she had posed it as optional. "…Sure."

She smiled at him, pleased. "Cool—let's go inside and get jackets first, though. I think it's going to get colder soon."

"Get one for yourself; I'm fine," Sasuke informed her casually.

She frowned at him and crossed her arms. "Sasuke-kun, I'm a medic. When I say you need a jacket, you need a jacket." With that said, she marched into the manor and returned with two light jackets—the smaller, dark green one hers, the larger, black one Sasuke's.

Sasuke rolled his eyes in annoyance but couldn't find it in himself to argue with her, so he snatched the proffered jacket from her grasp and shrugged it on silently.

His behavior didn't seem to offend her and she led him down the path in a relatively good mood, her own jacket on and concealing the rash he had noticed the night before. After they'd been walking for a few minutes, however, he noticed the signs he had come to recognize as when she lapsed into deep thought: her blank expression and slightly glazed eyes.

He didn't interrupt her, but it eventually became apparent that her thoughts were troubling her. Sasuke deliberated before asking flatly, "You okay?"

She blinked, jarred from her thoughts, before she shrugged and bit her lip. "It's nothing. It's just…" she frowned and tried again. "I thought…I always thought that if Naruto—if someone like Naruto could ever belong to anyone, he'd belong to you and me. Us. But now, now he belongs to Hinata." She frowned again and shifted her weight uncomfortably. "And I feel…I don't know. Kind of abandoned, I guess." She added quickly, "I mean, I know it's stupid and petty and juvenile of me, but still. That's how I feel." Her eyes darted to Sasuke's face as if gauging his reaction to her admission.

Sasuke kept his face studiously devoid of emotion. Truth be told, he wasn't sure what to make of what she had told him—much like most of what she told him, actually. He decided it was better not to say anything for the moment (which really was his defense mechanism).

They walked in silence for a while until they came upon a small pond encircled by a low stone wall meant to discourage anyone from falling in. The top of it was slicked with water, but it didn't stop Sakura from hopping up and using the wall as her own personal path.

Sasuke eyed the slippery puddles she was navigating without even looking at them. "You're going to slip and fall," he cautioned her.

Her response was a small smile. "You'll catch me." Her voice was interlaced with such absolute confidence and conviction that he didn't reply—because it was true, wasn't it? Like hell he would let her fall and hurt herself.

And so they walked along, silent once again, as Sasuke kept an eye on her until they reached the end of the pond and she had to jump down lightly. Upon landing, she began thoughtfully, "It's weird, isn't it? How, in the Academy and in our Genin squads, you're taught to trust our teammates, to rely on them and cooperate with them seamlessly until—until you're something _more _than three people working together. You know?"

Sasuke didn't reply, but she wasn't discouraged. "But that's setting you up for disaster, isn't it? I mean, because then…" she appeared to lose her train of thought, but regained it quickly. "Because then, what about what happens when something happens to one of your teammates? What happens when someone dies, or is disabled, or…" she hesitated and glanced at him sidelong before looking away quickly. "Or one of them leaves," she finished softly. Sasuke immediately felt a sharp pang somewhere in his chest, and he wasn't sure if it was guilt or something else, but he knew that it hurt and that her pained look had caused it.

Sakura forged onward bravely, although now her words came out as halting and disjointed. "Isn't it…don't you think it would make more sense _not _to have teams rely on each other so heavily? I mean, yeah, that first team…that first team, if they relied on each other like that, they'd function better, but…but again, what if something happens to one of them? Because, because I don't think…" her voice dropped to a whisper. "I don't think any team would ever be able to work as well as they had when they were that first team." She looked like she wanted to continue, but stopped herself.

Sasuke grew weary of her general, hypothetical scenarios and the way they caused him to ache. "Sakura, if you're trying to tell me something, just tell me," he said irritably, hoping she couldn't tell what he was feeling.

She flinched. "I'm not trying to tell you anything. Not really. It's just that I…" she clenched her fists and swallowed harshly. "I…" She took a shaky, tremulous breath and looked straight in his eyes, her own clear and lovely and _green_. They had both stopped walking, and she closed the distance between them and placed her hand in his. "I'm glad you're home, Sasuke-kun." Her words were sincere and warm and dispelled the painful ache in his chest.

Unsure of how to respond, Sasuke lowered his head for her, and she stood on her tiptoes to kiss his forehead, a ritual now for the both of them. This tender, familiar gesture always instilled a sense of calm and contentment in Sasuke, and at that moment he wished he could giver her that same contentment as well. He settled for reaching across his body with his free hand to slowly, softly, stroke her hair once. This resulted in a smile of hers that was equally slow and equally soft, her hand warm in his. "Let's go home, Sasuke-kun," she bade quietly.

He nodded once, and so they turned around and walked back to the manor, hand in hand. Only when Sasuke was beginning to realize that he was actually glad she had insisted he take a jacket did it dawn on him that it was the first time Sakura had referred to the Uchiha manor as "home."

* * *

... (dies)

No excuse for the lateness, I know, I know. I was away from home for at least two weeks, okay? Don't judge me.

So, yes, this is nauseatingly fluffy. I figured I'd try to make apologies somehow. Um, I love you guys...? Some of you have mentioned how this story, and the latest chapters in particular, are decidedly lacking in...well, _events_. I'll tell you all now that this story isn't going to have much action in it. And it's mostly about...well, about Sakura and Sasuke _bonding_, which in my mind is a slow, sometimes arduous, generally uneventful process. So bear with me. In the future I'll try to make it more interesting and humorous and, and eventful. Really, I'll try. Just thought you all should know.

Unrelated:

1) I get it now. Sasuke's cloak-ed-y thing looks like a PONCHO. (runs around in circles)  
2) I assume most of you have read Breaking Dawn. Shut up, losers. I tried to buy it today BUT THEY WOULDN'T LET ME BECAUSE I DIDN'T RESERVE IT. I was _so _tempted to just jump over the counter and grab one of the reserved copies. I mean, I hate the initial premise and most of the characters in that series, BUT I STILL WANNA READ THE FRIGGING BOOK. It's a conspiracy, I tell you.  
3) Do any of you understand this "Reader Traffic" thing? I've never been too good with graphs. Still, I can read, and it would appear a lot of you aren't from the US. Lucky. Anyway...stupid new-fangled technological whatnot...um, someone help me?


	16. Chapter 16

**Everything Is Alright**

After their walk, something in the relationship between Sasuke and Sakura changed. They were closer, just a little bit. Maybe it was because Sakura had let her thoughts and feelings pour out, unedited and uncensored and sincere. Maybe it was because Sasuke had realized that he was glad he was home, too.

Whatever it was, it shifted something in Sasuke. He found it just that much easier to talk to Sakura, to really _talk _to her, to tell her things. Mostly he told her about his mother.

In halting, disjointed, self-conscious sentences, he told her about how she had hummed and sung to him when he hadn't been able to sleep. How she had always smiled at him and welcomed him home when he had entered the manor. How she had taught him how to mold rice-balls. How she had ruffled his hair and kissed his scrapes and encouraged him to read.

When he told Sakura this, she didn't judge him. She didn't pity him. She didn't try to pat his back or console him. She sat there, listening quietly, and afterwards she kissed his forehead and smiled softly at him, and Sasuke knew that it was _okay_.

Sasuke reflected on this and realized that he felt like he could tell her everything; could rant and rave and complain about everything he could possibly think of, and she would accept it—accept _him_. And that, that knowledge—that was enough. That was more than he had hoped for since he was eight.

And so they coexisted peacefully, a relationship that was sometimes soft glances and murmured words, sometimes bright eyes and rapid-fire bantering. But it was always, always enough.

--

"What are you doing in here?"

Sakura turned around, cringing at his accusatory growl. It was mid-afternoon, a few days after their walk, and Sasuke had done a routine sweep of the house for her chakra-signature—really nothing more than a habit that calmed the small part of his subconscious that felt just slightly uneasy when he wasn't exactly sure of her whereabouts. He had located her in a room in the west wing of the manor, where he never went and where he told her not to go. She was in his parents' bedroom.

"Sakura," he hissed when she didn't answer him. He stalked towards her and grabbed her arm, as tight as he could without bruising her (she bruised easily these days, ne observed in a detached part of his mind).

Even though his grip was loose, she flinched. Slowly she raised her gaze until she met his eyes. "I just wanted to know what this room was," she said quietly. Sasuke knew immediately that she was telling the truth. Both her voice and eyes were earnest, and this was _Sakura_, anyway. She didn't know that just being in here hurt him, and he was sure that if she had known, she never would have come.

Her voice was soft. "This was your parents' bedroom, wasn't it?" She always was too smart for her own good, he mused darkly. The room was completely bare—Sasuke had had all the furniture, everything, removed—but if you looked closely you could still tell where there had been a bed, a dresser, etc.

Sasuke released the breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. "Yeah."

"I'm sorry I upset you by coming in here," she mumbled into his shoulder. "I shouldn't have gone nosing around where you didn't want me to."

He loosened his grip on her arm completely to slide his hand up to her shoulder, his other hand resting on her opposite shoulder. "It doesn't matter," he muttered. "Let's just get out of here."

Sakura nodded morosely and he propelled her gently by the shoulders to the door—until he set his foot down on one of the planks in the wooden flooring and felt it give a little. Immediately wary, Sasuke shoved her lightly away from the loose floor-board and knelt to assess it.

Pushing at it lightly with his fingertips, Sasuke discovered that, however many years ago, it had been pried up and never bolted back into place. He felt around for a while until he found a good spot to pry it up.

It gave with surprisingly little resistance, and Sasuke was able to set the entire plank aside and see into the dark space below. His sharp eyesight detected a moderately sized object in the gloom. By this time Sakura was kneeling at his side, and he briefly contemplated dismissing her from the room in case whatever it was below wasn't…pleasant. He surrender the notion quickly; he knew Sakura well enough to know that if he wanted her out of the room while he figured out just what was down there, he'd have to physically remove her. And there would be a lot of kicking and screaming involved. A lot of it.

So, no, whatever it was down there, they would find out together. Sasuke actually found this to be somewhat comforting as he cautiously reached down into the darkness. His arms were just long enough from him to feel a small wooden box-like thing. He shifted his weight and extracted it carefully.

When it was finally in the light, they saw that it was a wooden chest. A thick film of the dust that Sasuke had disturbed hovered around them, and Sakura sneezed before asking curiously, "What do you think is in it…?"

"Guess we'll find out," Sasuke muttered, and again considered sending her from the room, but decided against it a second time. It was hard to admit it to himself, but he was feeling apprehensive as to the contents of the chest, and her presence, as always, soothed him. And again, there was the fact that he'd have to carry her out and tie her up somewhere.

The lock was old and rusting, so it was no problem for Sasuke to force it open. Inside the chest were papers, slightly yellowed with age. His apprehension mounting, Sasuke extracted them to read, wondering if they had been part of his mother's diary or something. Sakura perched her chin in the crook of his neck and read over his shoulder.

The words were handwritten in what Sasuke recognized as his father's neat, precise lettering. The first time he looked at the papers, he couldn't manage to read it word-for-word, but certain words stood out: **Uchiha **and **military coup **and **Elders **and **suspected treachery**. Dazedly Sasuke noticed that they were dated, and the last date was the day before his family was killed.

He could feel Sakura breathing shallowly against his neck and felt that he should reassure her in some way, but all he was able to do was re-read it fully this time. He scanned the pages at least ten times, but it always came down to this: the Uchiha clan had been planning a coup. Here it all was, in his father's handwriting, strategized and planned out. Apparently his clan had been discontent with their diminishing power and had planned to take it by force. However, at the end it appeared that they suspected a traitor in their ranks had informed the Elders of the Council and the Hokage of their plans and were expecting the Konoha higher-ups to act against them. The Uchihas' first plan was to ferret out the disloyal one and then strike before the Hokage and the Elders could. But they never did. They were all murdered.

And it all made horrible, sickening sense to him: Itachi. Itachi was the traitor. He remembered his father discussing how Itachi was the Uchihas' link to ANBU, to the heart of Konoha's power—apparently to strong a link, because he betrayed them in favor of siding with the Council. So he killed them. On the Council's orders?

Suddenly he had to know. A terrifying numbness was setting in, blurring most of his coherent thought but an overwhelming need to know the _truth_. A need to know if his goal for the past eleven years had all been misguided.

He felt himself rising to his feet, clutching the damnatory papers and walking towards the door.

Sakura tugged at his arm. "Sasuke-kun, what are you—"

"We're going, Sakura," he told her mechanically, grabbing her hand. And then he ran with her.

He dragged her out of the and into the streets, directly to the Hokage Tower. He felt her stumbling and tripping behind him, begging him to slow down and tell her what he was doing, and he knew that he would regret his harsh handling of her later, but he _had to know_.

They were climbing the stairs and bursting into the Godaime's office in record time. Tsunade's head shot up from where she had been bent over paperwork. "Sasuke, Sakura? What—"

Sasuke shoved the papers at her. "Read those," he hissed.

Tsunade stared at him, at the papers he had thrust into her hand. Sasuke watched as shock took over her features while Sakura leaned on him and regained her breath. The tiny portion of his mind that was not thoroughly incensed was horrified that she was in such discomfort because of _him_, and he rubbed her back methodically without taking his eyes of the Hokage.

Tsunade's voice was almost hoarse when she spoke. "Where…where did you find these?"

"Under a floorboard in my parents' room," Sasuke answered curtly. He slammed a fist down on her desk. "Is it true?"

Tsunade opened and closed her mouth. "I'd never heard anything about this…they seem authentic, though…and it's not like someone would plant these papers there…" she was mostly talking to herself now. "This would have been during the Sandaime's term…he's dead, though…" she hesitated. "The only people I can imagine who would know about this—if this is real are the Elders, and they passed away less than a year ago." She contemplated, almost brooded, as Sasuke and Sakura watched her pensively. "I'll go through their old records tomorrow," she decided.

"Shishou, what should we do?" Sakura asked her guardedly. She had regained her breath, and her hand was on Sasuke's arm in a protective manner.

"Don't tell anyone about this, first of all," Tsunade ordered. "And I'll let you know tomorrow if I find anything in the Elders' records."

"_Tomorrow?_" Sasuke hissed disbelievingly. "You expect me to wait until _tomorrow_? I want to know what's going on and I want to know now!" he demanded.

Tsunade made as if to yell at him, but Sakura stepped in front of Sasuke and cut her off. "Okay, Shishou, we'll come back tomorrow." She turned her head so that Tsunade couldn't see and mouthed _Go along with it_ to Sasuke. Sasuke regarded her carefully. She had a plan, then.

He nodded stiffly. "Whatever." With those eloquent parting words, he exited the room, Sakura behind him.

"So?" Sasuke asked Sakura as soon as they had closed the door.

She hesitated, but proceeded to tell him that she knew the access code to get into the Elders' former study, where they kept their records. Sasuke narrowed his eyes in anticipation. _Finally. _ "Show me," he ordered.

--

Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.

Sasuke was curled up against the side of his bed, breathing heavily, almost hyperventilating. It was true. Oh god, it was all true. He and Sakura had read the records, seen the horrible truth all spelled out into impersonal text: Itachi had betrayed the Uchiha clan. The Elders had ordered a mass-slaughter. And he had delivered.

Sasuke beat his fists against the floor. Why, why, _why_? None of this was supposed to happen. None of this was supposed to be true. He had killed Itachi, goddammit. That should have been the end of it. Itachi wasn't supposed to have _reasons _for murdering his family. He was supposed to have been twisted and insane. That was how it was—…how Sasuke had thought it was.

What did this mean, then? That Itachi had been a good person from the start, had only done what he did for the sake of Konoha? Then why had he left the village? Why had he joined Akatsuki? Why had he tried to kill Sasuke in the past? Why had he tried to take his eyes? Why had no one ever explained this to Sasuke?

Doubt and uncertainty and confusion and endless, endless questions plagued him, making his head ache and his stomach churn. Everything Sasuke had ever known, everything he had ever believed was a lie.

Sasuke doubled over from the combined pain of his rebelling stomach and throbbing head, and noticed out of the corner of his eye that Sakura was standing in the doorway to his room her expression an awful mix of grief and distress.

Sakura. This was _her _fault. If she hadn't gone in there, had actually done what he'd told her to for once, he never would have discovered the floorboard or the chest or those damn, damn papers—and this terrible truth would never have been brought to life. He would have gone on believing that Itachi was evil and that his death was vengeance, justice, that Sasuke had not killed an innocent man—his innocent brother.

He would kill her. He would kill her, snap her tiny neck and watch her _greengreengreen_ eyes fade and dull and—Sasuke physically reeled when he caught up to his runaway thoughts, the product of his activating Cursed Seal. He—he had just thought of _killing _Sakura. _Sakura._ Horrified and shaken to the core, he tried to clamp down on the Cursed Seal that was sluggishly spreading across his body, but he was struggling.

Sakura had to leave in case he lost it completely. "_Get out of here_," he snarled at her. She had moved closer until she was only a few feet away from him. "_Stay away _from me, Sakura. Go back to your room." She paid him no heed and drifted even closer. Now she was kneeling in front of him, where he was still curled against the side of the bed. "Leave me _alone_," he hissed, desperate and terrified of letting her get hurt, of _being the one to hurt her_.

"Sasuke-kun," she murmured, before leaning forward and wrapping her arms around his shaking frame. He stiffened, but immediately upon contact with her skin the Cursed Seal receded until it was dormant once again. _Sakura—_

Sakura. Sakura was here, Sakura was holding him and he knew that she was afraid and upset, but she had come to him when he had told her not to and—and he _knew_ that she wouldn't leave him.

He couldn't ever remember being so glad that she hadn't listened to him. He relaxed into her arms, buried his face in her hair, and tentatively brushed his fingers over her cheekbone.

"Sasuke-kun," she whispered. "Sasuke-kun."

And so he cried. Silently, he cried into her hair, because everything was messed up and he felt so helpless and confused and _like he'd lost his family all over again_.

Sakura tightened her arms around him and shifted her weight back and forth, providing him with a soothing rocking motion. She crooned to him and kissed his forehead and stroked his hair, and Sasuke knew that if Sakura was there to hold him through the night, everything would be okay eventually.

He only cried for a maximum of five minutes, but it left him exhausted. He moved around a bit until his head rested on her shoulder and his hands engulfed one of hers. Content and peaceful, Sasuke allowed his eyelids to droop as Sakura started humming to him—humming the same song she had played on the piano for him, the same song his mother had hummed to him when he couldn't sleep.

_Mom_, he thought, and fell asleep.

* * *

Um. You see. I'm really sorry this is so random and abrupt and rushed and out-of-nowhere, but it all came out in some giant big blob of word-vomit, and I really wanted to get it over with, so I just kept _writing and writing and writing _and...this happened. (cringes) I'm sorry. More will be explained about this in the next chapter, so, uh, not mentioning the suckyness of this chapter would be appreciated. Really.

But who thought there were family jewels in the chest? Anyone? Anyone? ...No? Okay, maybe I'm the only one with an overactive yet predictable imagination...blast.

This was dedicated to **Missa**_, _who gave me the idea to use this idea (and I feel bad because I wrote it horribly). Basically, the majority of EIS would still be bereft of a concrete plot if not for her. Kudos!

Unrelated:

1) The Eight-Tails: Pimping the Naruto!verse since chapter 408. Ho'yeah.  
2) Karin. Whore. Grr. (shakes fist at Kishi and his twisted imagination that came up with arm-biting jutsus)


	17. Chapter 17

**Everything Is Alright**

_Sakura_, Sasuke thought, in the very moment that he regained some semblance of consciousness the next morning. Her warmth and her scent were so familiar and distinctly identifiable to him that he felt like he had known her his entire life, when in fact he had first encountered her at the Academy and had only truly noticed her when they were placed on the same team.

He was partially in her lap, and his head rested on her shoulder. One of his hands still gripped hers, but the other clutched at her shirt. A wing of her soft, sweet-smelling hair tickled his face, and when he opened his eyes, his eyelashes brushed the smooth skin of her neck. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so well-rested and at ease.

He shifted his head slightly so that he could see her face. Her eyelids were lowered, but not closed; her eyelashes created shadows beneath her eyes, over the skin that was already shadowed from lack of sleep. Judging by this, along with her pulse, she was only dozing, not sleeping.

It didn't appear as if she had noticed that he woke up. She was still holding him, and it would be so, so easy to just close his eyes and go back to sleep, if only for a few more minutes. He had almost convinced himself when he noticed something: she was breathing shallowly—very shallowly.

Alarmed, he immediately detached himself from her, moving so that he was no longer on top of her in any way.

Sakura opened her eyes fully, disturbed by his sudden movement. "Sasuke-kun…?" she murmured, her voice hoarse.

Sasuke hissed when he figured it out. Of course. His larger, heavier body had been crushing the lungs and rib-cage of her smaller frame all night. How could he have been so self-centered and _stupid_?

Sakura regarded his pained and seething expression blankly, still groggy. "Are you okay?"

He gaped at her disbelievingly. "Am _I _okay?" he repeated, upset and incredulous. "I've been crushing you all night! Were you even able to sleep at all?"

Sasuke knew Sakura well enough to know that if her thoughts had been more coherent, she would have lied to him and said that she had been able to sleep. As it was, she was still out of it, so she answered him honestly. "No," she yawned, shrugging.

She made as if to get up, shifting her sitting position, when suddenly she flinched forward as if someone had tried to stab her in the back.

Wincing, she tried to stand up again, but Sasuke, concerned and suspicious, held her down and turned her around so that her back was facing him. Carefully peeling up her shirt a bit, he saw the beginnings of a horrific, mottled bruise a bit above the small of her back.

Sasuke let her shirt slide down once again to look at where Sakura had been sitting all night. Sure enough, her back had been pressed to one of the bed-posts, and the bruise on her back matched a place where the bed-posted curved outward in the design of a vine.

Horror-struck by his own selfishness and idiocy, he resisted the strong urge to beat his head against the wall. "Why didn't you _move_?" he demanded of her.

Sakura blinked at him as if he'd just asked the stupidest, most obvious question there was. "It would have woken you up."

Her compassion had him torn between wanting to slap her and hug her. He slowly bent forward so that his face was pressed to her collar-bone. "Sakura," he whispered. "Sorry. I'm sorry."

She stroked his hair. "S'okay, Sasuke-kun. I'm fine."

"No, you're not," he muttered darkly, and, upon straightening, he fixed her with the evil eye. "And you're not going to work today, either. You're staying home and sleeping."

She stared at him, indignant. "I said I'm _fine_! Why won't you ever believe me?"

Sasuke, one arm sliding around her back and the other folding under her knees, scooped her up into his arms. "Because you're either lying or our ideas of 'fine' vary greatly," he informed her as he carried her to her bedroom. "And right now, my idea of 'fine' is the one that counts."

She struggled in his arms. "It is not! I'm in charge of you, and I demand that you put me down! Sasuke-kun, I'm not kidding! _Lemme go!_" She tried to kick him, but to no avail.

"Stop freaking out," he ordered her as he entered her room and deposited her on the bed.

Bouncing on the mattress slightly from impact, she muttered mutinously, "'M not freaking out. I'm being difficult."

"You're _always _difficult," Sasuke assured her.

She glared up at him balefully. "And I _am _going to work."

"No, you're not," Sasuke disagreed firmly, ready to physically prevent her from bolting to the hospital, if need be.

Sakura opened her mouth as if to yell at him, but abruptly switched her tactic. Looking up at him seriously, she said, "I really want to go to work today, Sasuke-kun." She paused for effect. "It would make me really happy." She reached up to tug lightly on his sleeve. "Please, Sasuke-kun?" She maintained eye-contact with him the entire time, not allowing him to look anywhere but into her green eyes.

Sasuke looked down at Sakura, who was sitting there so solemnly, her eyes wide and clear and bright, and…twitched. Shifting from foot to foot, he said irritably, "Sakura, I told you that—"

She tugged at his sleeve again. "Please, Sasuke-kun. For me?"

…_Damn_, she was good. He sighed. "Fine. But only for a little while. If I see you yawn once, I'm dragging you home, you got that?"

She grinned widely. "Sure, sure—now get out."

Sasuke rolled his eyes at her, but did as he was bidden. "Tch." He couldn't escape feeling like he'd been played.

--

"Good morning, Sakura-san!"

Sakura and Sasuke slowed their pace on their walk to the hospital as the ever-exuberant Lee came bounding towards them.

Sasuke watched as Sakura tried to form her face into a smile, failed, and affected and expression of mild surprise. "Lee-san, hello," she greeted. "Where are you off to?"

He fell into stride beside her after nodding cheerfully to Sasuke. "The Hokage's office," the green-clad youth informed her. "Tsunade-sama is sending me on a mission today. A-ranked," he added proudly.

Sakura finally managed a smile. "That's great." Meanwhile, Sasuke scoffed inwardly. So the loser wasn't good enough for an S-rank? He couldn't say he was surprised.

Lee beamed at her (literally, _beamed_; Sasuke had to turn his head to avoid being blinded by Lee's ridiculously shiny teeth). "Thank you, Sakura-san! Well, I have to go now. I'll see you later! You too, Sasuke-kun!"

Sakura waved half-heartedly to him as he sprinted away, the enthusiastic expression she had forced sliding offer her face immediately, silence blooming between the two.

Sasuke watched her, as he had done all morning in an effort to avoid thinking of Itachi and the Uchiha and the whole sorry mess. He noted the way that she bit her lower lip occasionally, until it lost all color. He observed how she shifted the strap of her messenger-bag constantly, absently. He noticed how she did not look at him, not once, and could not tell whether he was hurt or relieved. It was peculiar how Sakura could make him feel so many things at once.

She looked worried, worried and sad and apprehensive. Sasuke wanted to tell her to stop worrying, worrying about _him _(because he was sure she was, as he had learned from past experience), but he had never been good with words, and she looked so tragically fragile that he was afraid she would break, would shatter into a million jagged, lovely pieces if he touched her. So he didn't. He watched her, and he worried about her worrying about him.

When they walked into the hospital, a receptionist hurried toward Sakura and, with an anxious glance at Sasuke, whispered in the green-eyed girl's ear. Sakura nodded listlessly and headed for her office, Sasuke shadowing her.

In her office, Sasuke sat mechanically on the sofa and watched as Sakura set her messenger-bag on the floor by her desk. And then she turned to him.

"Tsunade-sama has summoned us to her office," she told him in an oddly formal voice. "To tell us…" she shrugged helplessly and let him fill in the blank.

Sasuke understood completely, anticipation and dread building up in his chest. He nodded slowly. "Alright."

Sakura shifted her weight and tilted her head so that a curtain of hair slipped forward and veiled her face. She was hiding behind her hair again, which Sasuke found both exasperating and endearing in parts.

"Sasuke-kun…whatever Tsunade-sama says…" she began.

Sasuke could not see her face well through her hair, but what he could see of her face was expressionless, her eyes blank, and it dawned on him that she was _scared_, for some reason.

"You won't leave, will you?"

Sasuke stared at her. _That _was what the silly girl was worried about? She didn't understand, he realized, she didn't understand at all. She didn't understand that after months of being with her, after months of having her tease him, having her care about him, having her _smile for him_, the idea of leaving her was not even conceivable to him. Not at all.

Sakura was looking at him out of the corner of her eye, gauging his reaction. Sasuke considered berating her foolishness, but remembered how fragile she had looked, so he settled for chiding gently, "You're an idiot."

She turned to face him fully, cautiously. "So, you won't…?"

Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes, irritated and a little hurt that she was so skeptical of his dedication to Konoha—of his dedication to her. "Of course not," he said, trying to feign indifference. "You and the idiot need looking after."

She looked affronted. "Do not," she mumbled rebelliously, before she smiled, bright and white and beautiful, relieved and grateful and _happy_.

Sakura walked over to him and pulled him to his feet, lacing her fingers in his. She tugged on a lock of his dark hair and brushed his bangs out of his eyes tenderly. The corners of Sasuke's mouth turned up.

When she pulled away and started leading him by the hand to the Hokage's office, she glanced back to look at him. "So you'll never leave me, right?"

"Right," Sasuke sighed.

"And you'll always be there when I need you, right?"

"Hn," Sasuke allowed, thinking that he would damn well try to be.

"And you'll buy me a pony for my birthday, right?"

Sasuke could tell that she was trying to distract him from thinking about what the Hokage would tell them.

"And a milkshake," she added as an afterthought. "Sasuke-kun, you'll buy me a milkshake on my birthday, too, right?"

Sasuke decided to humor her. "It depends on how much of a twerp you'd been the day before your birthday," he informed her.

She blinked innocently at him. "What makes you think that I would have been anything less than angelic?"

"Your twerp-like behavior on all other occasions," Sasuke told her, smirking fondly.

Sakura sighed dramatically. "Your opinion of me is wounding, Sasuke-kun," she mourned.

"And your behavior towards me is twerp-like," Sasuke returned easily, and the mindless banter did actually distract him to some degree. Still, when they entered the Hokage's office, he felt sick and had to force himself to concentrate only on Sakura's hand in his. That was all that mattered.

Tsunade regarded them seriously from across her desk, looking maybe even a bit apprehensive. Sasuke remembered that she didn't know that Sakura had taken him to look through the Elders' records, so she thought that she was breaking the news to them.

She started speaking, and Sasuke let her words wash over him, summarizing everything in his mind:

The Uchiha had been planning a coup. Itachi had betrayed them to the Hokage and the Elders in the hopes of preventing a war. He was ordered to kill his clan. He obeyed, with only the exception of his baby brother. And then he left the village.

Sakura was squeezing his hand, so he allowed himself to venture out of the safety of his mind. He trusted her to keep the floor from falling out from under him.

--

That night, a sleepless Sasuke leaned against the headboard of his bed, his eyes closed as he strained to clear his mind of the hectic thoughts that plagued it.

He heard his bedroom door open, but did not open his eyes as he heard Sakura approach his bed and clamber up beside him, tucking herself into his side and nestling her head at the crook of his neck. Sasuke shifted to rest his cheek on the top of her head.

"What am I supposed to do?" Sasuke asked her, his voice free of any inflection, save for a slight tremor.

Sakura reached up and began stroking his face lightly, her fingers whispering over his skin. Ever so slightly, he leaned into the caresses. "You'll keep going on," she answered his question. "You'll wait out the probation and you'll move up through the ranks—unless you're content with being a Genin for the rest of your life," she added thoughtfully, "which might actually be a good conversation-starter. You need all the conversational assistance you can get."

Sasuke poked her side, and she giggled softly. "Um, anyway. You'll move up through the ranks and you'll go on missions and you'll eat ramen with Naruto and you'll buy me a pony for my birthday, and…and you'll find something to live for," she finished, retracting her hand from his face and climbing out of the bed.

She tugged the blankets that Sasuke had kicked to the foot of the bed up and over him before she bent down and kissed his forehead. "Goodnight, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke didn't trust himself to speak, so he nodded and she left the room. He felt the absence of her like a blade through his chest, but he was too proud to call her back and ask her to stay with him. So he let her words, her voice resonate through his mind, lulling him into a sense of warmth and tranquility.

* * *

GAH. THE FLUFF BURNS. I am such a sell-out, man. And canon is REALLY HARD for me to involve in this, because that's just more rules for me to abide by. ...Speaking of which, this and the previous chapter were overloading with spoilers, weren't they? Uh, probably should have put a warning up about that somewhere. Ehehe. Oops? And sorry if all of this was really confusing and WTF-ish. Blame my tendency for writing without thinking ahead.

Unrelated:

1) I'm going to a new school this year, and I was lamenting about how I wouldn't have any friends there, and my friend Morgan suggested that I get a hand-puppet to talk to during lunch. Where is the sympathy, I ask you?  
2) I WANT A PONY. I _had _a pony. And then I sold him and bought a horse. But I want my pony back. I DEMAND A REFUND.


	18. Chapter 18

**Everything Is Alright**

Sasuke spent the next few days in a self-imposed haze. He focused on Sakura and tuned everyone and everything else out—until, a few days after all of his beliefs came crashing down around his ears, a nurse scrambled into Sakura's office, panted something to Sakura that Sasuke couldn't quite understand, and watched as Sakura jerked out of her chair and sped down the hall to the Emergency Room.

Sasuke immediately dropped his book and sped after her. He was much faster than she was, but her desperation lent her speed, and she was already in the Emergency Room, donning the ER attire before he could grab her and force her to explain what was going on to him.

And then he saw Lee.

The other boy was being wheeled to an operating room by frantic attendants. He was motionless and ashen-hued, covered in horrifying, oozing burns and atrocious wounds, and Sasuke knew, just knew, then and there, that Lee would not survive.

But Sakura—Sakura was talented and incredible and driven. Sakura could heal _anything_, so surely, surely she would not give up until Lee was okay again, because she had learned from the last time and would never let another person die again.

He followed her into the operating room. Everyone was too frantic to notice his presence and kick him out. He watched as Sakura hovered over Lee's prone figure, her hands glowing a bright green. He watched as she mended bone and knit skin and healed and healed and _healedhealedhealed_, but still Lee did not regain any color, did not open his eyes or speak or move or show any sign of life.

This went on for more than an hour, a period of time in which Sasuke stared and Sakura struggled and Lee did not respond. And then the heart monitor that Lee had been attached to at some point started to change. The jagged line that had kept moving slightly, just slightly, abruptly flat-lined.

Sakura screamed.

"_No!_" she shrieked, beating her fists against Lee's chest. "No! Goddammit, Lee, wake up! _Please! _I'm sorry, I'm sososo _sorry_, but you have to wake up! Don't die! P-please don't die…" Lee did not move, and the ominous straight line on the heart monitor remained unchanging.

He was dead.

Sakura knew this, too. Covered in blood, she took two shaky steps away from the corpse of her friend. "No…I…" she whispered, her hands clamped over her mouth to keep from screaming again, Sasuke suspected. "Lee—I'm sorr—"

And then she collapsed.

Sasuke stood, stiff with terror, as Sakura slid bonelessly to the tiles of the hospital floor, her eyes rolling up into her head, her limps splayed erratically, her clothing soaked through with blood.

As hospital employees swarmed to the prone girl, Sasuke stared and did not see Sakura, his Sakura. He saw his mother, his beautiful, kind, expectant mother lying in a pool of her own blood on the floor of the Uchiha manor.

He watched, his mouth open in wordless horror, as they took her away from him.

--

Sasuke and Naruto were sitting in the waiting room when Tsunade exited Sakura's hospital room. Immediately they both stood.

"Tsunade-baachan, is Sakura-chan okay?" Naruto demanded, his blue eyes wide and panicked. The blond boy had raced to the hospital when Sasuke sent him a message via a Chuunin. Sasuke had explained what had happened in the briefest way he could, his voice an expressionless monotone, and the two had settled into to wait for news of the green-eyed girl they couldn't imagine living without.

Tsunade sighed and rubbed her face. It occurred to Sasuke that she looked…_old_. "Sakura will be fine," she said wearily. "Perfectly fine."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief, but Sasuke was not so easily swayed. "Let me see her," he ordered.

She seemed like she wanted to glare at him but couldn't muster the energy. "No. She's sleeping right now."

Sasuke stared her down. "Let me see her," he repeated, his jaw set and his eyes blazing coldly. Hokage be damned, he would strike her down if that was what it took for him to be able to see Sakura and confirm for himself that she was okay, that she wouldn't disappear from his life like his father, like his brother.

Like his mother. He shivered, remembering the awful moment of déjà vu that Sakura's collapse had brought him.

Tsunade looked as if she knew that not giving him permission would not deter him in the slightest. "Nothing I say is going to keep you from finding a way to her, is it?" she asked rhetorically. "Fine." She turned to Naruto. "I supposed you're coming, too?"

Naruto stared at her as if she had lost her mind. "_Hell_ yes," he said slowly, as if making sure there was absolutely no way that she could misunderstand him.

Tsunade almost smiled. "Alright, come on," she beckoned, opening the door. "But speak softly," she commanded.

The three of them entered the room, and Sasuke was immediately by the bedside before Naruto could beat him to it. Sakura lay there, wearing an ugly hospital gown and tucked under a blanket. He was glad to see that she wasn't hooked up to any machines. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing deeply, indicating that she was indeed asleep. It figured that the little twerp would sleep through one of the most traumatic days of Sasuke's life, Sasuke mused darkly but fondly.

He was aware of Naruto hovering over his shoulder, but paid him no heed as sat on the side of the bed and ever so carefully began to lift her into his arms.

"Don't—" Tsunade began, but gave up when Sasuke shot her a defiant glare. "Oh, fine. She sleeps deeply, anyway. But be gentle," she cautioned him.

Her warning was wholly unnecessary. Sasuke handled Sakura as if she were made of paper and glass held together by a thin, fraying thread. He slowly arranged her in his arms, her head resting against his collarbone with his arms folded gingerly around her waist, and realized for the first time, with devastating clarity, how frighteningly _frail _Sakura was.

She had always been thin, but this—this was unhealthy, unnatural. He would have smashed his head against the wall right then for not truly noticing her ill health if she hadn't been in his arms. He shifted her slightly and observed that the veins on the insides of her arms were prominent, only obscured by the red rash Sasuke had noticed previously.

Naruto reached over Sasuke and stroked her face, ran his fingers through her hair. After a moment he asked, "What…happened? I mean, I know the thing with Lee, but she shouldn't…be like _this_, just because of that, should she?"

Tsunade sighed, which Sasuke took as ominous.

Naruto nudged Sasuke. "It's my turn to hold her."

Sasuke scowled at him. "What makes you think you get a turn?"

Naruto glared at him. "That's not fair," he whispered harshly, remembering to be quiet so as not to disturb the slumbering kunoichi. "She's as much mine as she is yours."

Sasuke was about to vehemently deny this when Tsunade rubbed her face again. "Oh, for the love of—Sasuke, let Naruto hold her," she ordered, bemused by the sight of two of the most powerful shinobi in the village squabbling over who got to hold her former apprentice as if she were a sleeping kitten.

Sasuke wanted to object, but realized that he had probably pushed the volatile woman as far as he could without getting punched through a wall, so he sullenly placed Sakura in a smug Naruto's arms.

Naruto received her with as much gentleness as Sasuke had treated her with and they swapped places sitting on the bed. Sasuke went around to the other side of the bed and sat there, taking her tiny, limp hand in his.

Tsunade looked at them both seriously. "The reason Sakura collapsed is a combination of many things. First of all, over-exhaustion. You both know that Sakura pushes herself far too much, which leads to her staying up late and getting up early in order to achieve what she wants done. Second of all, she's been functioning on low chakra for far too long. It appears she was taking on the task of healing more patients than I was aware of, which led having constant low levels of chakra, which isn't healthy." Tsunade sighed yet again. "I knew she was pushing herself too much, but I thought…" It appeared as if she was talking to herself.

Everyone spoke with a muted voice, and Sakura slept on peacefully through it all, nestled in Naruto's arms.

She shook her head. "Anyway, the third reason is malnutrition. When caught up in work, Sakura often forgets to eat, and that's all self-explanatory. You see that rash on her arm? I examined it and determined that it's stress-related. It's quite common for high levels of stress to be exhibited by physical signs—skin rashes, hair loss…"

Naruto instantly began running his fingers through Sakura's pastel locks, as if expecting a giant chunk to just fall out. Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Sakura doesn't have hair loss, you idiot. She just has the rash. When trying to heal Lee, Sakura forced out the absolute last bit of her chakra. Add that with everything else, and then the high level of emotional anxiety that she felt when she realized that Lee died, and her body just…couldn't handle it. She shut down, I guess you could say."

Sasuke gripped her hand tighter (although still very gently) while Naruto pulled her closer. "But you said that she'll be okay, right?" the Kyuubi container reaffirmed.

Tsunade nodded. "Yes, she'll be fine. But I'm going to suspend her from all forms of work for a month so that she can recuperate. Speaking of which," she addressed Sasuke, "come with me to my office so that we can discuss the rest of your probation."

Sasuke was loathe to leave Sakura when she looked so small and helpless, but there was a steely glint to the Godaime's hazel eyes. "I'm not going to tolerate any more insolence from you today, Uchiha," she warned him.

Scowling, Sasuke squeezed Sakura's hand one last time before following Tsunade out of the room.

--

Tsunade regarded him seriously from behind her desk in her office. "So," she began, "there are two months left of your probation. Let's cut to the chase."

Sasuke stiffened, immediately knowing that he would not like the chase.

"Sakura is clearly in no condition to monitor you, so I will assign you to—"

"Wait," Sasuke interrupted incredulously. "Wait. You mean Sakura won't be living with me anymore?"

Tsunade shook her head. "No, Sakura will move out of the Uchiha manor and—"

Sasuke interrupted again. "You mean she'll be living on her own?"

"Yes," Tsunade responded, a little testy because of his interruptions. "She lived on her own in an apartment before you came back."

"But she can't live alone! She…" he trailed off. _She needs me_. "I can take care of her."

She gazed at him disapprovingly. "I'm not so sure about that. You were living with her for ten months, but still her health deteriorated. You didn't take care of her then."

Sasuke bit his lip, knowing she spoke the truth. "I thought that she would figure things out by herself. And I tried to take care of her, I just…I'll take care of her from now on. I won't let her do anything strenuous. Let her stay with me."

Tsunade tilted her head. "Are you sure you're arguing about this for her?" she asked slowly. "Or for you?"

Sasuke's eyes widened, and he was about to retort that _yes, of course this was for Sakura_, but then he thought about it. He knew that if Tsunade allowed Sakura to stay with him that he would take better care of her, but was that it, was that really what was driving him? The idea of going back to the manor and not having Sakura there was bleak at best. Her warmth and cheerfulness had permeated his ancestral home, chasing away the ghosts and misery that had overrun it previously. Her gestures of affection and flippant words had made even the most drawn-out, awful days bearable. He had come to rely on her, to depend on her to comfort him and care for him and be with him.

Yes, it dawned on him that he was pressing this case a good deal for himself, but…Sakura enjoyed being with him, didn't she? He remembered every time that she had smiled when she saw him, every time that she had leaned on him, every playful word and affectionate glance that she had given him. He remembered her words in the attic:

"_So…so just let me know if you even need my help, Sasuke-kun. And, one day…I want you to tell me that you're alright."_

Sasuke knew, without a doubt, that he wouldn't be alright without her with him. If, when his probation was over, Sakura wanted to leave him, he would respect her choice and let her go, but he was not going to let Tsunade take her from him.

He looked up to stare the Hokage straight in the eyes. "I'm arguing about this for myself in part," he admitted, "but I think that Sakura would be better off with me as well." Tsunade still didn't look convinced, so he dropped his last pretense of dignity and allowed his desperation to color his voice and expression. "Please. Please let her stay with me."

For a long, tense moment Sasuke thought that she was going to refuse, but then she sighed for what must have been the twentieth time that day. "I need alcohol…" she mumbled. "Fine, she'll stay with you. But if she's not completely recovered after the month is up, there won't be a safe place for you to run to," she informed him, dead serious.

Sasuke nodded, slightly intimidated but extremely relieved. "Can I go back to Sakura, now?"

She moaned. "Yes. Get out of my office before I change my mind."

Sasuke didn't have to be told twice.

--

Back in Sakura's room, Naruto was still holding her, his eyelids drooping. When Sasuke entered the room, he looked up, paused a moment, and said quietly, "This is all your fault, you know."

Sasuke nodded. "I know." _I screwed up. I'm sorry. _

Naruto grimaced. "Just so we're all clear." When Sasuke outstretched his arms demandingly, Naruto, surprisingly, conceded and placed her in the dark-haired youth's arms. "Here, take her. I promised Hinata-chan that I'd explain why I suddenly ran off to the hospital."

Sasuke didn't respond, barely listening, too preoccupied with holding the girl who was, without a doubt, the most precious person in his life.

Naruto punched his shoulder lightly. "I'll definitely be back tomorrow," he said. "And the day after that, and they day after that, and for however long it takes to get her out of here."

Sasuke nodded again. "I know."

Naruto grinned a bit. "Just so we're all clear."

--

Two hours later it was almost eight o'clock at night, and Sasuke reluctantly set Sakura down in her bed, knowing it was better for her to sleep in a proper position.

He sat in one of the hard, plastic chairs across from the bed and settled in to doze. However, at eight PM a nurse came in and said hesitantly, "Um, sir, visiting hours are over…"

"I'm not visiting," Sasuke asserted calmly. "I'm staying." His tone was absolute, and the nurse took one look at his expression and did not bother him for the rest of the night.

* * *

I KILLED LEE. Gasp. His death will be explained a bit later. Also, I realized something: this whole "having a plot" thing? It's not for me. It's easier for me to prattle on mindlessly like I usually do, thanksallthesame. Still. I've got most of the major plot stuff over with for now, so the next couple of chapters are going to be pure fluff punctuated by angst and humor. You have been warned. Not that this wasn't already sickeningly fluffy--and sappy, actually. I THINK I HAVE A FLUFF-WRITING ADDICTION. ...Yes, I do use Caps Lock too much. IT HELPS TO DECREASE WORLD SUCK LEVELS.

Speaking of which. _**READ THIS:**_

Don't get used to new chapters this early. I only updated now because I'm busy tomorrow and on Sunday and I wanted to remind all my fellow Nerdfighters (anyone?) to pre-order their copy of Paper Towns on John Green's birthday-- Sunday, August 24. He needs to sell about 5,000 copies in the first week for him to become a New York Times bestselling author. If you're not a Nerdfighter and you have no idea what I'm talking about, just pre-order a copy of the book Paper Towns by John Green. His brother Hank says that it's cheapest at Amazon(dot)com. Or buy it in the first week that it comes out. Also, you may have heard of his other two books, Looking for Alaska and An Abundance of Katherines. They're amazing. Why are you reading this when you could be reading them? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?

I hope you'll all support John Green! BUT DON'T TELL HIM. It's a surprise, get it?

And this chapter is dedicated to **Roses of Sharon**, because I love her and feel awful about not being able to help her more. (despairs)


	19. Chapter 19

**Everything Is Alright**

"Maharflebimyntwomg," was the first thing that Sakura said (mumbled incoherently) when she woke up around three AM the next morning. Sasuke was by her side instantly, all traces of weariness vanishing, and he assisted her in sitting up, sliding in behind her so that she could lean against his chest.

"Sasuke-kun?" murmured Sakura thickly, struggling to turn around so that she could see his face.

Sasuke positioned her accordingly. "Yeah," he whispered. "I'm here."

"Mmm," Sakura hummed. She shivered a bit, and Sasuke obligingly pulled the blanket up, tucking it under her chin.

"How do you feel?" Sasuke asked cautiously, wary of upsetting her. He'd been expecting her to wail about Lee the moment that she regained some semblance of consciousness.

She thought about it for a moment. "Awful," she answered. "I can barely even remember what happened…" she trailed off musingly, yawning widely. "I'm really tired, still. All I can manage to remember is that I collapsed…I was in the hospital, right? What—" she broke off to yawn, "happened?"

Sasuke hesitated, extremely reluctant to instigate her recollection of Lee's death. He scrambled to think of something that would divert her attention.

Sakura blinked up at him sleepily, her head placed comfortably on his shoulder. "Hey, Sasuke-kun? Will you do something for me?"

Apparently her attention was already diverted. Sasuke nodded in acquiescence, but cautioned, "_Two _ponies is pushing it."

She giggled and nuzzled his throat. "We'll see."

"So what do you want?" Sasuke prompted gently.

It was a long time before she answered, and Sasuke would have believed that she had fallen asleep if it hadn't been for her not _quite _even breathing. Still, when she spoke, he knew it would be less than a minute before she drifted off. "Just…don't leave, okay?"

Sasuke thought of when she had held him through the night (after they learned the truth about Itachi and the Uchiha clan) and had come away with an ugly bruise to show for it. He held her impossibly closer. "I won't leave you," he muttered, a bit embarrassed but very sincere.

Sakura smiled faintly. "I know." And then she fell asleep.

Sasuke breathed contentedly into her hair, and, with his arms wrapped gingerly around her, fell asleep as well.

--

Around eleven o'clock the next morning, Sasuke returned to Sakura's hospital room from pacing the hallway in the hopes of working out the painful kinks in his legs, which were the result of sitting partially on the bed and partially off all night, and then sitting in a hard, plastic chair for the rest of the morning. When he opened the door, hoping against hope that he would find Sakura sitting up and smiling at him, he was disappointed to see that she was still prone.

However, a second later he noticed upon closer examination that her eyelids were fluttering, and she was squirming a bit, the blankets tangling around her legs.

He was by the bedside immediately, shoving Naruto—who had arrived at six AM that morning—unceremoniously out of the way. He crouched over the hospitalized girl, watching the way that her lips parted and moved, her hands fisted, and the shadows cast upon her cheekbones by her eyelashes rippled when her eyelids quivered.

"Why didn't you come get me?" Sasuke hissed at Naruto while keeping his eyes locked on Sakura's face.

"She only started moving as soon as you left the room, like, two minutes ago!" Naruto protested indignantly, his eyes also glued to his only female teammate. "As soon as you closed the door, she whimpered and started struggling. It was like she was trying to follow you, or something."

"Still," Sasuke muttered angrily, feeling cheated that Naruto had been there to witness the beginning of Sakura's first _real _lapse into the conscious world while he hadn't.

Sakura's eyelids rose significantly, revealing her spearmint green irises. Naruto punched Sasuke's shoulder. "Look, she's waking up!" Under any other circumstances Sasuke would have made a snide remark along the lines of "Well, _you're _perceptive," but right now he was too preoccupied with staring apprehensively at Sakura.

Her eyes half-lidded, she tilted her head and regarded the two boys bent over her blearily. "Naruto, Sasuke-kun…?" Sasuke knew that it was childish, but a small part of him was resentful that she had said Naruto's name first. He disregarded that thought immediately and busied himself with getting Sakura a drink of water when he saw her licking her lips.

He held the glass out to her for her to grasp. She reached for the proffered drink, but had trouble sitting up. Sasuke started to slide behind her in order to prop her up against him, as he had the night before, when he suddenly became aware of Naruto watching them with an uncharacteristically knowing smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Self-conscious, Sasuke halted in his movements, and was left hovering over Sakura, unwilling to back away from her but spontaneously apprehensive about touching her. Fortunately, after a bit of struggling Sakura managed to sit up by herself, and took the glass from him gratefully, murmuring a "thank you."

Sasuke shifted on his feet uncomfortably, avoiding Naruto's eyes and musing over his newfound uneasiness about physical contact with Sakura. He wasn't sure what, but something—something had changed in his perception of her, in the way that he looked at her and thought of her. It wasn't a dramatic change; it was small, but it made Sasuke question whether he even really had a right to touch her, anyway. That left him feeling unsettled and irritated, and he directed those emotions at Naruto, always a ready-made scapegoat.

Said boy had come and sat on the side of Sakura's bed, rubbing her back as she sipped the cool liquid. Sasuke exhaled testily, noting how Naruto had absolutely no problem touching her. Of course, Sasuke hadn't either, until…Sasuke thought about it, and he remembered how devastatingly, utterly he had believed, for one terrible moment, that when Sakura had collapsed, it had really been his mother's death all over again.

That gave birth to many uncomfortable trains of thought that Sasuke shoved to the back of his mind for further notice, resolving to focus solely on Sakura for the moment, on anything that she might need, anything that might make her feel better, make her smile.

Sakura finished the water, and Naruto took the empty glass from her and set it aside. Wearily, she leaned against him, her head supported by his orange-clad shoulder. Sasuke squished the feeling that it should be _his _shoulder that she was leaning on and sat on the other side of the bed, keeping a cautious distance between himself and Sakura, just until he figured his tumultuous thoughts out.

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto began hesitantly, "do you…are you…about Lee…"

Sakura frowned a bit, clearly perplexed. "Lee-san? What abou—" and then she gasped harshly, her eyes widening. Sasuke saw, clear as day, the realization and remembrance come flooding back to her all at once. _Crushing despair_ overtook her face, draining the small amount of vibrancy and animation that had been present, and it almost made him choke.

"_Lee_," she whispered, and there was some much guilt and pain and grief and agony permeating her voice that Sasuke felt sick to his stomach. He _never _wanted Sakura to look like that, sound like that. Sasuke felt terrible knowing that, even when Sakura was going through her own trauma, he still wanted her to comfort him and tell him that it was alright, that she was alright, that everything was alright.

Naruto was also shaken by her anguish. "Sakura-chan," he implored, clutching her to him, "don't be like that. It wasn't your fault, there was nothing that you could have done, Lee was—"

"I don't want to talk about it right now, Naruto," Sakura whispered, her voice frighteningly, uncharacteristically blank and devoid of emotion. It chilled Sasuke to the bone.

Naruto bit the inside of his lip, frustrated and desperate. "_Sakura-chan_, Lee—"

Sakura closed her eyes. "Really, Naruto. I can't…just…just please leave me alone for now, okay?" She turned on her side so that her back was facing towards the blue-eyed boy.

Naruto let go of her, and stepped back from the bed, his eyes wide. He looked…hurt. "Sakura-chan…"

"Please, Naruto."

He swallowed and kissed her cheek before he moved toward the door, almost dazedly. "O-…okay, Sakura-chan. Feel better soon."

She nodded listlessly. "Thank you."

He left, and Sasuke was secretly, selfishly glad that for once, _for goddamned once_, Naruto couldn't instantly make everything better, couldn't turn every situation positive. For once, Naruto wasn't special enough to Sakura to make her smile. For once, Naruto was as helpless as Sasuke was.

Sasuke was still sitting on the edge of the bed, frozen, afraid that Sakura wanted him to leave as well. She was still lying on her side (facing him) with her eyes closed, her face ghostly pale and still.

After a long moment, she spoke. "I'm such a screw-up," she murmured softly, her words interlaced with an emotion that Sasuke knew all too well: self-loathing.

Sasuke wanted to argue, wanted to deny it, wanted to tell her that she was _wrongwrongwrong_, but he had lost the power to speak, and, really, if _Naruto _couldn't make her feel better, Sasuke had absolutely no chance.

So he sat there, aching to hold her, desperate for her to touch him. Almost before he realized it, she had sat up and scooted towards him to wind her arms around his chest, her face buried in his chest.

Sasuke stiffened—she felt so delicate and fragile and _frangible_, and he had no idea what to do, or what to say, and he still wasn't sure if it was okay for him to touch her. But she was hugging him, and she was upset, and she was Sakura, so he knew that he had to try.

Carefully, carefully, carefully, he placed his arms around her, gathering her to him, settling her against his chest. He was aware of her in a way that he'd never been before—the subtle contours of her body, the silkiness of her hair. The intimacy of their position.

When he'd held her the night before (well, the morning, really), it had felt natural, been easy. This embrace was hesitant and almost awkward, but Sakura didn't seem to notice. He'd thought that she was going to cry, but he felt no warm tears seeping through his shirt, and Sasuke had made her cry enough to be able to recognize her tears effortlessly.

"Do you think that Naruto's going to be mad at me?" she mumbled into his shirt.

Sasuke answer was immediate and absolute. "No." Naruto would never be angry with Sakura—at least, not truly angry.

Sakura sighed. "Don't get me wrong, I love Naruto. I just…can't deal with talking about...yesterday…right now."

Sasuke barely heard the end of her sentence, too caught up in the beginning. "You love him." His voice was flat.

Sakura hummed questioningly. "Sure, I love him. I—" then her eyes widened, and she giggled desperately, almost hysterically. "Oh, Sasuke-kun, _no_. Not like that, you should know that by now. He and Hinata are adorable together, anyway. No, I love Naruto because he's…he's one of my important people, I guess. That's why I also love Kakashi-sensei and you and Tsunade-shishou and Ino-pig and my parents—although a lot of the time I don't know why."

Sasuke tried to ignore the sudden warmth that was blooming throughout his chest. "You love me." His voice was as flat as the last time that he'd spoken, but if one had listen closely, one might have detected an underlying current, something that, in anyone else's voice, might have been called a wondrous tone. _She loved him._

He could feel her frown into his shirt before she lifted her head to look him in the eyes. "You thought that I didn't?"

Sasuke shrugged evasively. Truth be told, he had thought that any of the love she might have felt for him previously would have dissipated on the night that he left Konoha. When he returned, Sakura had never acted like she loved him. He knew that she cared about him, yes, but…love? She didn't flirt with him, didn't ask him on dates, and when she touched him, it was in a friendly, sometimes even maternal way, not _romantic_.

He concluded that she loved him in a different way, now, not in the way that she had professed that she had on the night of his defection. This realization left him feeling…well, if he was honest with himself, disappointed. Cheated, even. His reasoning was that, if she still did love him in that way, he would be her most important person. Her most precious person. And then, finally, for the first time ever, their relationship would be equal.

Not that Sasuke cared for her romantically. …At least, he didn't think that he did. No, Sasuke cared about—_loved?_—her because she was smart and lovely and talented and devoted and kind, special and determined and loyal and generous and affectionate. Because she kissed his forehead and stroked his hair and held him. Because she forgave him, because she never gave up on him. Because he didn't deserve her. Because she was his. Because she was Sakura.

Sasuke remembered that Sakura was still waiting for him to answer. He blinked and looked at her. She was watching him earnestly, almost curiously, a sad ghost of a smile lurking around her mouth.

She pressed her face to his collarbone. "Of course I love you. You're my Sasuke-kun. Aren't you?" she asked softly, almost timidly, as if afraid of his answer.

Sasuke ran the phrase 'my Sasuke-kun' through his head, and it evoked a certain pride in him. Yes, he was Sakura's. It was only fair, he concluded, that if Sakura was his, then he was hers, too. (And she _was_ his, he reassured himself. She was. His and no one else's. Especially not Naruto's. Or _Neji's_.)

Still, Sasuke hesitated before mumbling "I guess" to the top of her head. Admitting this kind of stuff to himself was one thing (and actually a rather big step for him, considering that his predisposition was to repress emotions), but admitting it to Sakura was another.

Sakura tilted her face so that she could look up at him cautiously, as if searching his face in order to figure out whether he was being sincere or not. Sasuke remembered Naruto's departure, and thought that, if Naruto could, than surely he could.

So Sasuke took a deep breath, steeled himself, and, painstakingly slowly, leaned down to—hesitantly, clumsily—touch his lips to her cheek for a fleeting moment before straightening immediately, averting his eyes from her face.

However, he could still see her out of the corner of his eye, and he watched as her eyes grew wide and round, her mouth hanging open a bit before her lips stretched into a wide, genuine, _happy _smile.

Sasuke turned his head to face her again, incredulous. He had made her…happy? Sasuke had made Sakura many things, in the past. He had made her upset and lonely and frightened and desperate. He had made her cry. But, just now…he had made her happy, when even _Naruto _couldn't.

This, in turn, caused a small, faint smile to form on his own lips. Sakura noticed, and her smile grew even wider and brighter, her eyes lighting up with wonder and joy. She leaned forward until their foreheads were pressed together, their eyelashes all but meshing.

Sasuke realized, gazing at her happy expression, that he did love her. He loved Sakura, his girl with eyes like fireworks and a smile like sunshine. Still not romantically, he didn't think, but finally being able to love someone, after so long, made it unimportant what kind of love it was. As long as it was Sakura that he loved. And he did.

* * *

See, this was supposed to be all angsty and stuff, right? Because, y'know, Lee died. And of course I already warned you that it was going to be fluffy. But somewhere in the middle it, like, died on me. So I just kept typing whatever came to mind, and...well. But it got so freaking _sappy_ and stuff. I mean, I'm fourteen. I don't know anything about love! And, basically, it's all jut about Sasuke thinking and waxing poetics. Gah.

Um, I said that I'd explain Lee's death, didn't I? That'll come in the next chapter, I swear. I also meant to elaborate on the Sakura/Mikoto thing (as pointed out by the one, the only, the **Missa**), 'cuz, you know, it's in my summary. It's a suckish summary, but I still kind of need to stick to it. Anywayz. That'll get addressed later, too...? Ehehe. But if you're confused, in this chapter the sort of, like, maternal figure that Sasuke used to see when he looked at Sakura is gone, because, like, subconsciously, he realized that he was trying to find a mother in her and (subconsciously) forced himself to stop, even if he hasn't consciously addressed it yet. That's the whole thing with how he's unsure of how to touch her now, because he's starting to see her as, y'know, a girl and stuff. Er.

Unrelated:

1) Chapter 415 sucked so freaking bad. Where does Sasuke get off, being so desperate to save Karin like that? And chapter 414 made me so happy, too, because, hello, SASUKE CARES. About Team Seven and stuff. AND THEN KISHIMOTO RUINED IT. Um, at least they didn't group hug...?

This is dedicated to **whenifallxx**, because she thought that I was in my early twenties. SCORE.


	20. Chapter 20

**Everything Is Alright**

"Let me see her," Neji demanded of Sasuke the next day. Neji and Tenten had come to the hospital the day after she woke up to visit Sakura, both of them looking drawn and upset, though both made valiant attempts to hide it behind blank facades. (Sasuke also noticed now Neji said "me" instead of "us" to include Tenten, indicating, in Sasuke's mind, that Neji was there to see Sakura for his own purposes.)

Sasuke felt a small niggling of empathy for the other male, knowing that the loss of Lee must have been devastating. Still, Sakura needed to rest, and Sakura came first. "She's sleeping," he said stiffly, his arms crossed as he stood in the hospital hallway, physically barring the way between the two teammates and Sakura's room.

Neji narrowed his eyes. "You're lying," he accused.

Sasuke actually _was _lying; Sakura was dozing, yes, but she was still conscious. With fortunate timing, Sasuke had left her alone for a bit to stretch his legs and had come across the two walking down the hall. Even though he had made her smile yesterday, after a while she had lapsed back into a sad, grief-ridden silence when she wasn't sleeping (and even in her sleep she looked unhappy), and Sasuke knew that seeing Neji and Tenten so soon would only make her feel worse.

He hated to do it, but he was going to have to play on Neji's obvious interest in Sakura. Sasuke cut to the chase. "Look," he addressed solely Neji, "she's upset about Lee. Do you _really _want to make her feel worse?"

Neji flinched minutely before scowling. "I didn't come to make her feel worse." (Again, Sasuke noticed, Neji spoke only of his own concern for Sakura, not of Tenten's.) "I came to…to see her," he finished lamely.

Sasuke did not budge. "It doesn't matter what you came here to do. If you go in there, it's inevitable that you're going to upset her even more than she already is," he asserted coldly. He could see that Neji still intended to go in, so Sasuke grimaced and played his final card.

Sasuke stepped forward until he was eye-to-eye with the Hyuuga, Sasuke's own slight height advantage becoming useful. "If you care about her at all," he said quietly, "you won't go in there."

Neji's eyes widened and he made to retort but seemed to lose the will. He glowered and turned away. "I'm not going to stay away from her for long," Neji warned Sasuke.

Sasuke recognized his statement as a challenge, a dare, and a threat. He smirked arrogantly. "We'll see."

Neji threw one final glare at him and departed, Tenten following him, her plain face blank.

Sasuke watched to make sure that they indeed left the building before slipping silently back into Sakura's room. She was still awake, leaning against the headboard. She turned her head to watch him as he crossed the room to sit in the chair that he had dragged to her bedside. "Who were you talking to?" she asked softly. "I heard someone else's voice."

Sasuke shook his head, berating himself internally for not keeping his confrontation with Neji quieter. "It doesn't matter. Don't worry about it."

She cast him a doubtful glance, so Sasuke lightly tapped his knuckles to her forehead. "The nurse should be coming with your lunch soon," he said, changing the subject easily.

She frowned at him. "When was the last time _you _ate?"

The corner of Sasuke's mouth turned down. "That's not important."

"Yes, it is," she insisted, shifting so that she was no longer leaning against the headboard of the bed. Sasuke made to assist her in some way, but instead of accepting his help she grabbed his outstretched arm and used it to tug him to her.

Sasuke could have easily pulled away from her feeble grip, but he allowed her to pull him towards her, partially onto the bed. Once his face was within her arm's reach, she raised her hand to touch the hollows under his eyes with her sensitive fingertips. "We match," she murmured ruefully.

For a moment Sasuke wasn't sure what she meant, until he realized that he must have developed circles under his own eyes due to two long, restless nights spent in the hospital, rousing himself from an uneasy doze occasionally to make sure that Sakura was okay.

He gently pushed her hand away. "Sakura," he began, but Sakura shook her head and interjected.

"No, Sasuke-kun. Forget about me. You need to go home and sleep and shower and eat."

Sasuke also shook his head. "No," he responded simply. "I won't leave you."

She bit her lip, frustrated. "_Sasuke-kun_," she tried. Sasuke shook his head again, refusing to concede. "At least go home and eat and shower and stuff," she compromised.

She looked desperate and upset, and a shower and change of clothes _would _be a relief. Sasuke tucked a lock of pastel hair behind Sakura's ear. "Fine. It's twelve-thirty now. I'll go and be back within an hour."

She attempted to bargain. "Two hours."

Sasuke pinned her with a stern look. She matched it with one of her own, her chin stuck out stubbornly, and Sasuke could tell that she was trying to appear fierce and intimidating. Finally, he couldn't help the corners of his mouth turning up. "One," he reinforced, and started to get up.

Sakura clasped his hand, tugging him towards her again. "Hug," she reminded him.

He blinked and actually felt a bit of color rising in his cheeks. To mask his embarrassment, he bent down to take her in his arms gently as she folded her arms around his neck. He cradled her there for a moment, and she kissed his cheek softly. "Bye, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke gingerly detached himself and avoided her eyes, feeling awkward and uncomfortable with the display of affection, yet strangely pleased. "Yeah."

--

Sasuke raced to the manor, jumped in the shower, threw on clean clothes and mechanically ate something he found in the fridge before speeding back to the hospital, managing the whole production in a little less than forty-five minutes.

Upon entering Sakura's room, he found her leaning against the headboard once again, her eyelids, pearly from lack of sleep, drooping. She was obviously on the brink of falling asleep, yet she hadn't lied down.

Sasuke frowned and approached her, wondering if something was wrong and if he ought to call a nurse.

She became aware of his presence. "Sasuke-kun," she hummed drowsily. "I wanted to stay away until you came back."

Sasuke tried to look disapproving and stern, but couldn't help the warmth that spread through his body at her intention. He made an effort to keep up his authoritative appearance, because otherwise she'd start to think that she could get away with things. "Moron," he admonished. "When you're tired, you should sleep."

"Not everyone's as logical as you are, Sasuke-kun," she reminded him sleepily, sliding down so that she was lying on her back.

Approving, Sasuke sat in the chair, crossing his legs, and watched as her eyes drifted shut, but not before she whispered, "It's…kind of nice, you know? Going to sleep and knowing you'll be there when I wake up…"

Sasuke exhaled softly, looking upon her delicate face. "Yeah," he murmured.

--

A bit over an hour later, Naruto visited again, this time with Hinata, who brought lilies that she arranged in a vase on the side-table.

Keeping his voice hushed, Naruto prompted Sasuke, "Hey, have you seen Gai-sensei lately?"

Sasuke shook his head, at the moment disinterested in any subject that did not involve Sakura and her health.

"Hinata-chan and I saw him when we were walking here," Naruto began, taking a seat on the edge of Sakura's bed, absently stroking the sleeping girl's cheek. Hinata sat on the other side, gazing down at her bedridden friend softly. "He looked…like, like a _zombie_."

"He looked very upset," Hinata murmured.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Like he'd lost his youth and was all depressed and stuff."

Sasuke felt a small amount of pity upon hearing this, but he had never really liked Gai, so his did not dwell on it, instead letting himself be lulled into a state of calm by watching the slow, steady rising and falling of Sakura's chest.

--

By the end of Sakura's two-and-a-half day stay in the hospital, she had accumulated an obscenely large amount of gifts from friends, family, comrades, people that she'd healed before. Her hospital room was carpeted by cards, flowers, candy, books, and small presents, such as teddy bears holding 'Get Well Soon' signs.

It irritated Sasuke to no end, and Sakura mourned the amount of time that she'd have to put into writing thank you notes, although she appreciated everyone's concern and thoughtfulness.

While she was thumbing through a book that Ino had given her, she asked haltingly, "Sasuke-kun…have Neji and Tenten come by? While I was asleep and stuff, I mean."

Sasuke studiously affected an air of disinterest, busying himself with shuffling cards into orderly stacks. (Earlier, Sakura had expressed a small amount of amusement at his obsessive-compulsive tendencies.) "No," he answered. "I would have told you if they had," he informed her, lying through his teeth and only feeling the tiniest bit guilty.

That is, until he saw the depressed look on her face, and his guilt increased dramatically. "…Oh. I see. I just thought—I mean…" she averted her eyes and allowed her hair to slip forward and screen her face.

Sasuke exhaled a bit sharply and came to sit beside her on the bed, keeping a cautious space of about six inches between them (he was still feeling a small amount of discomfort when it came to physical contact with her), but raising his hand to her face and tucking the wing of pastel hair behind her ear. "Stop hiding your face," he admonished.

She actually blushed a little bit, much to Sasuke's interest, and ducked her head, stilling unwilling to face him. "It's just…Lee-san's funeral—it's tomorrow, isn't it?" she confirmed, her voice slightly strained.

Sasuke reluctantly affirmed this, and she pressed on. "I…think that it would be better if I—went to them, and talked to them before the funeral. You know?" she tacked onto the end, and it seemed as if she were seeking his approval.

Sasuke actually didn't approve—in fact, he would really rather that she skipped the funeral as well; there was a distinct chill to the air now, a promise of a cold winter. Sasuke was dreading having her stand outside for the entire ceremony, but she was adamant about attending, and he didn't have the heart to deny her what she wanted.

Just as he didn't have the heart to deny her a meeting with Neji and Tenten. Disgruntled by the realization that he had grown soft and indulgent, he muttered, "If you really want to."

She managed a small smile for him. "Thanks, Sasuke-kun."

He shrugged off her thanks. "You're getting released from the hospital tomorrow. Rest," he ordered, plucking the book from her hands and gathering all of the other stuff off of her bed.

She frowned at him, irritated. "I'm not tired."

He met her frown with a composed, authoritative expression. "When I tell you to rest, you rest. I'm in charge of you now."

She gasped—an indignant intake of breath. "You are not!" Sasuke gave her a look, and she grumbled mutinously, "Not officially, anyway."

"It doesn't matter whether it's official or not," Sasuke remarked placidly after clearing away all the clutter from the bed. "What matters is that you're taken care of."

She scowled. "I can take care of myself, thanks all the same."

Sasuke shrugged, unwilling to engage in an earnest argument with her, which he was sure this would turn into if they continued on, but he couldn't help adding, "But I can take care of you better."

She blinked, surprised, clearly not having expected him to say that. Sasuke didn't know why—it was the truth, after all. Perhaps, after having been put into a frangible state of mind by Lee's untimely and unfortunate death, she couldn't handle the truth…

Sakura was looking at him strangely. "What makes you think that?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes minutely, annoyed that she questioned his judgment. "Rest, Sakura."

She sighed. "Fine." She slouched out of her sitting position until she was flat on her back, staring up at the ceiling.

Satisfied, Sasuke leaned against the wall opposite her, his arms crossed. He had put it off for a few days, but he could stall no longer. He reluctantly summoned up the memory of Sakura's collapse, of how, for a moment, he had been certain, _so certain_, that she was his mother.

This led him to analyze the months that he'd spent with her since his return, dissecting every conversation, every gesture of affection, everything that he had felt for her, and he realized…that, all along, he had been looking for a surrogate mother in her. He had depended upon her, relied on her to comfort him, to care for him, to remain with him.

Only then did he realize how selfish and blind he'd been. He had left her, abandoned her for seven years, and then he came back and expected her to take care of him? No longer, he decided. From then on, he would be the one taking care of _her_. He would take care of her—protect her and support her and look out for her, look after her. He would work back the metaphorical debt that he had accumulated over the months, would nurse her back to health and make her happy again.

No longer would he place the burden of caring for him on her. He wanted to think that, with this reveille, he would be able to just stop needing her, but he was realistic: he had grown to need her, for better or for worse, and probably would until the day he died (which, being a shinobi, could possibly not be too far off).

Sometime in the midst of his musings Sakura had fallen asleep, and, watching her, it occurred to him just how much he must have missed when he left her. She had become strong in his absence, but he had learned from various sources that it was in the face of many hardships—and he hadn't been there to help her through any of them.

Never again.

* * *

Urgh, this didn't come out the way it was supposed to. I fail. Sakura's talks with Neji and Tenten will be in the next chapter, and Lee's funeral, I hope. _But_, I have great news: Missa and I are starting a collab! It shall be amazing, and you should all read it. ...You know, when we post it. Which will be...soon-ish 'n stuff. I hope. (We're both prone to procrastination, so...) It's under the account **CtrlAltFngrl**, for which there's a link on my profile. CLICK IT. ...I actually kind of needed Missa to go and hyperlink it for me, hahaha...I suck.

Unrelated:

1) I refuse to talk about the last chapter. REFUSE, I SAY.  
2) Not sure if I mentioned this already, but my Alg. teacher's from South Africa, right? Well, not only does he say "bugger," which makes me squee, but apparently _he had a pet hippo_. Named, like, Scott or Suki or something. I was kind of zoning out at the point...oh, but I also learned that he has three kids, all of whom were born to different women, and none of whom he is married to (the women, I mean). My Algebra teacher is a pimp. That is so amazing.

This chapter is dedicated to **Missa_, _**for whom the world goes round. (Also, she's singularly responsible for the plot in the upcoming chapters...) It's also dedicated to **IDontNeedToReply**, BECAUSE SHE HELPS ME DECREASE WORLD SUCK LEVELS BY USING CAPS LOCK. ALSO, BECAUSE SHE LOST HER PLYWOOD TO THE CAUSE. MAY HE REST IN PEACE. _AND _BECAUSE SHE SAID I'M A CONNECT-ALL-THE-WORDS-SO-EVERYTHING-SOUNDS-COOLER PIMP. HECK YES.


	21. Chapter 21

**Everything Is Alright**

Sakura, Tenten knew, was different from her—different from all the other kunoichi in the village, really. Smart, pretty, talented Sakura was Konoha's golden girl—the role model after which every kunoichi should mold herself, it was sometimes commented. A master of chakra-enhanced strength, strategy, genjutsu and healing, Sakura was well on her way to becoming the best and brightest of the female shinobi population, already on track to surpass Tsunade herself.

Seven years previous, when it had been announced that Tsunade had accepted Sakura as her apprentice, Tenten had been overcome by envy, even jealousy. She'd been angry that a twelve-year-old that never trained and was obsessed with a traitor had received the exalted privilege of being mentored by the legendary Godaime, while Tenten trained everyday and had been dreaming of such an opportunity for years. After a while she had realized and accepted that Sakura was better suited to being instructed by Tsunade anyway, what with her superb chakra control which was essential for healing, but ill feelings for the green-eyed girl had still lingered within Tenten for a little while after that.

Lately, Tenten couldn't help but feel inferior when she compared herself to the younger girl, but she couldn't even begrudge the other girl her skill—Sakura had trained and studied and worked to evolve into the accomplished person that she was. Tenten even remembered how Sakura had approached her a few years earlier, wishing for Tenten's aid in practicing her weapons abilities. Tenten had been astonished at Sakura's rapid improvement rate. Sakura had accredited it to Tenten's teaching skills, but Tenten knew it was because, while Sakura had no natural aptitude in weapons, she was a hard worker and a quick learner.

Tenten also knew that Sakura's life wasn't easy—she had a lot to prove and so many to please. There were rumors circulating that Tsunade was planning on instating her as the Head Medic of Konoha General Hospital, which would make her the youngest to hold the position by more than ten years. A crowning achievement.

So, on the morning of Lee's funeral, when Sakura (with Sasuke hovering behind her) approached Neji and Tenten on their way to the funeral, she wasn't sure what to think. Tenten honestly liked the other girl and found her to be wonderful company and a loyal comrade, but…Lee. If Sakura was so special and gifted, why hadn't she been able to save him?

Tenten knew that wasn't fair, though. Tsunade herself said that she had inspected the boy's body and affirmed that his injuries had been fatal and that there really wasn't anything that Sakura could have done, especially taking into account the young medic's already low chakra levels.

So Tenten gathered her maturity and composure and smiled softly as the pink-haired medic walked towards them, Sakura's green eyes (that had always looked a bit wistful to Tenten) apprehensive and sorrowful. "Hey," Sakura greeted sadly, coming to a stop in front of them, with Sasuke right behind her on her left, staring mistrustfully at Neji.

Tenten noticed how Neji's eyes softened. "Sakura," he intoned quietly. And there was something…something in the way that her teammate said the other girl's name that made her despair. First Lee had been infatuated with Sakura, and now Neji. Couldn't the world ever cut Tenten some slack?

Sakura paused a moment, looking up at Neji and Tenten through her long eyelashes. "I'm sorry," she said simply, but the two words conveyed such grief and guilt and sincerity that, even after her initial, mild misgivings, Tenten felt her heart ache for the medic, adding to the pain that she already felt after Lee's death.

She saw the same compassion on Neji's face as well, though it was subtle and only hinted at. "It's alright," he told her calmly, earnestly. "It wasn't your fault. Please, don't feel bad. There's nothing that you could have done."

Sakura's shoulders slumped helplessly. "Please, please don't say that," she implored. "It's only making me feel worse."

Neji regarded her before inclining his head regally. "As you wish," he complied. Mild gratefulness manifested itself on Sakura's face, and Neji's face matched it in gentleness and concern.

Tenten watched their interaction with a mounting sense of foreboding before glancing at Sasuke. He, too, seemed disquieted and irritated by the unspoken bond that Neji and Sakura were displaying. She considered this broodingly, but with the beginnings of hope. Sakura wasn't even interested in Neji, anyway, Tenten didn't think—and besides, she had Sasuke, who was fiercely protective and wholly devoted to his green-eyed teammate.

Tenten recalled the day that she and Neji had visited Sakura in the hospital, and how Sasuke had placed himself between them and the door as if Sakura's life depended on it, and that was all the motivation he needed to fight Neji to the death. Tenten shuddered internally, reminiscing upon the intense, antagonistic atmosphere between Neji and Sasuke that day.

Sakura finally managed a small, lovely (fake, a voice in the back of Tenten's mind whispered, _fake_) smile for them before retreating back to the protective circle of Sasuke's arm around her shoulders.

--

Sasuke watched as Sakura smiled at Neji and Tenten, a smile that was as bright and pretty and false as rhinestones, before she took a step backwards and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pressing her to his side and trying vainly to alleviate her grief.

His grip on her was firm, but still very gentle (he was once again reminded of how frail she was), and he exerted a slight pressure to urge her on, beginning to walk towards the funeral that was taking place in the clearing near the outskirts of Konoha.

Sakura responded to his prompting, and Sasuke shortened his strides greatly to accommodate hers. They made their way to the clearing gradually, with Naruto spotting them and meeting them at the middle. Sasuke correctly interpreted his intention and grudgingly retracted his arm, allowing Naruto to take Sakura in his own arms.

The girl essentially collapsed into him, letting herself be engulfed and trusting him to support her. Watching this, Sasuke frowned, for Sakura had barely leaned on Sasuke, yet she trusted and allowed Naruto to hold her up. His frown morphed into a glower when Naruto's arms tightened around her. "Stop that," he ordered harshly. "You'll hurt her."

Naruto rolled his eyes but compliantly loosened his hold. Sasuke heard Sakura's tremulous, muffled voice. "'M okay, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke grunted disbelievingly and noticed that the funeral was starting. He motioned for Naruto (and Hinata, who had followed him) to take their places. Naruto nodded and shuffled Sakura along until they were standing in the front row of the black-clad mourners. Among the four of them, Hinata was on the far right, Naruto on her left, Sakura next to him (still hidden in his arms), and Sasuke was beside her.

When the funeral began, Sakura emerged from Naruto's arms and stood by herself, though Sasuke could see that it cost her a lot, both physically and mentally, to do it. She looked small and tragic and pale in her black kimono, but she stood straight and tall and didn't waver in her resiliency, and Sasuke was _so proud _of her.

The sky was predictably and despairingly overcast, and somewhere in the middle of the ceremony it started raining lightly, the strength of the torrents increasing over time. It was a closed-casket ceremony. The Godaime gave a speech, as well as Gai (his eyes were obviously red from crying, but his speech was fiery and passionate and actually quite moving). Neji and Tenten also spoke, as did Naruto. Sakura had been offered the opportunity to make a speech, but she had respectfully declined. (Later, she imparted to Sasuke that she feared she would have had a breakdown at the podium.)

Although he was only half-listening, Sasuke gathered that Lee had been on a solo-mission in which the specifics were classified, but apparently he had been attempting to gather some sort of intelligence. He'd encountered a large group of enemy shinobi near Konoha's borders and engaged in combat, killing the enemies but receiving fatal wounds. He had dragged himself near enough to Konoha to be picked up by one of the patrols that had rushed him to the hospital, at that point unconscious.

The rain continued, and Sasuke, already made uneasy by how much the funeral led him to thoughts of his parents' death, wished fervently that they would get all of the tedious ceremony and pomp over with so that he could remove Sakura from the furious onslaught of unpleasant, chilling precipitation.

The girl was shivering, but when Sasuke reached towards her to help her warm herself, she pulled away and shook her head. Sasuke was almost hurt, but he realized that she was trying in her own way to appear strong, and he was appeased when she also evaded Naruto's grasping arm when the blond boy imitated Sasuke's intention a few minutes later.

Finally the funeral drew to a close, the mourners dispersing more quickly than normal due to the rain. Sasuke attempted and sorely wished to hurry Sakura home, but she refused and went to stand before the stone engraved with the names of shinobi who died in battle, staring at the newly-carved kanji.

Sasuke and Naruto abided by her wishes and waited for her a little ways off. After half an hour, Sasuke shifted impatiently, staring at her intensely. The silly thing was drenched, and Sasuke could perceive her violent shivers from fifty feet off.

He'd almost forgotten Naruto's presence when the other boy spoke. "We need to get her home." Sasuke nodded assertively and started to speak, but Naruto cut him off. "I mean, _you _need to get her home."

Sasuke glanced at him, uncomprehending. "But she'll listen to you."

Naruto nodded, considering his words. "Yeah…but I think she'll listen to you more."

Sasuke stared at him, actually…touched, in a way, by Naruto's opinion. Sasuke knew that Naruto wouldn't say something like that just to say it, and thus sincerely meant it. He remembered, for a moment, why Naruto was his best friend. Sasuke smirked. "Of course she will. She likes me better."

Naruto sneered at him. "I wouldn't go that far." He paused. "Just…go take care of her. Tell her I said goodbye."

Sasuke nodded slowly, and after some thought, punched Naruto in the shoulder, almost affectionately. Naruto grinned at him and jogged off, sloshing through the rain.

Sasuke approached the hunched, soaked figure of his most precious person and stood beside her, squinting to see her face clearly through the pouring rain. "Sakura…we need to go."

She hummed despondently, so Sasuke put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. Her eyes gave insight to so much pain and sorrow that the sight nearly took Sasuke's breath away.

She blinked at him once, twice, opened her mouth…and then closed it, pressed her face to his chest, and quietly began to cry.

Shell-shocked, Sasuke stood frozen, his arms hanging limply by his sides, for a good ten seconds, so taken aback was he by Sakura's tears. This was the first time that he had seen her cry since he returned. He had grown accustomed to her always standing strong, always toughing it out without crying…now that she had finally relented and fully dropped her guard around him, he was overcome with a rush of affection for the distraught young woman before him, finally resembling the girl he had known as a child.

He slipped his arms around her, drawing her close, and tucked her head under his chin, trying as best he could to shield her from the unforgiving rain. Her small hands fisted in the fabric of his black shirt, and, almost of its own accord, his left hand began rubbing her back, attempting to soothe her.

Unlike most of the times that he had witnessed her cry, these sobs were not loud, were not wailing, and were not the selfish tears of a little girl. He could tell that she was trying to muffle the sound as much as possible, almost suffocating herself in the process.

When her cries subsided, Sasuke shifted so that she was tucked to his side under his arm and whisked her out of the clearing. Sakura leaned her head against his shoulder and allowed him to ferry her back to the manor.

--

Once they stepped inside, Sasuke deposited her in her bathroom so that she could shower, and disappeared to his own in order to also clean himself up.

He knocked on her bedroom door an hour later and poked his head in. Sakura was lying on her bed in clean pajamas, her hair wet and her face blank.

"Hey," Sasuke said. "Are you hungry?" Along with gifts, people had sent them plastic Tupperware container upon plastic Tupperware container of food that could be heated up in the microwave, clearly not trusting Sasuke to be able to cook for himself, now that Sakura needed bed-rest.

She shook her head once. Sasuke considered pushing her to eat, but decided against it. Right now it would be better to just let her sleep.

"Alright," Sasuke murmured, and then hesitated. "…Come get me if you need me." He allowed his concern for her to be evident upon his face.

Sakura bit her lip and nodded. "Goodnight," Sasuke whispered before closing the door.

--

"Sasuke-kun…?"

Sasuke had woken up the instant that the door to his room had opened, and had heard Sakura's quiet, timid footsteps as she approached his bed around eleven-thirty that night.

Upon hearing his name, he turned on his side so that he could see her. She stood before him, just barely illuminated by the pale mockery of moonlight streaming through his window, and, after taking one look at her face, knew what she was going to ask.

Without giving her a chance to speak, Sasuke moved over, baring space at the other end of the bed. Sakura shot him a grateful look and climbed in, folding herself into the fetal position, her arms wrapped around her legs. "I couldn't sleep," she whispered.

Sasuke's response was to pull the blanket up and over her curled up, miserable form. She clutched it, but still seemed very distressed. Sick of feeling helpless, Sasuke carefully draped one of his arms across her midriff, simply to comfort her and remind her of his presence.

This did actually seem to help; she gradually unfolded herself from the fetal position and seemed more at ease. Emboldened by this, Sasuke drew her to him so that he could secure both of his arms around her. She didn't struggle, instead placing her hands against his chest and nuzzling his collar-bone.

"…Sasuke-kun?" Sakura's voice was so small that, even in the silence of the bedroom, he barely heard her.

"Yeah?"

She hesitated before speaking. "I…" She tried again, "You…you smell good," she finished before pressing her face to his throat.

Sasuke knew that that was not what she had intended to say, but didn't push her. He smirked faintly into her hair. "Sleep well," he bade her.

* * *

So I threw Tenten's POV in there, just to mix things up a bit. Be amazed. She came out kind of bitter and hostile, but she really does like Sakura, and she was just kind of grieving and figuring thinks out, you know? Also, up there in the beginning Sakura seemed kind of Mary Sue-ish, I guess, but that's just sort of Tenten's perception, and later she contradicted it. 'N stuff. And just so everyone's clear, I WARNED YOU ABOUT THE FLUFF. I take no responsibility for any resulting seizures and/or heart attacks. ...Haha, you know what I just realized? Sasuke cried in this story before Sakura. I dunno, that just amuses me...

HEY! Look over here! This chapter was dedicated to **mrie**, because she made the latest chapter of _Forgive But Never Forget_ spectacularly full of SasuSaku-ness. _It made my entire existence._ Rock on. Also dedicated to Bonk, because he indirectly said hi to me. Um, HECK YEAH.

Unrelated:

1) Chapter 417--egad, Sasuke impaled the lizard-y thing! ANIMAL CRUELTY. And you know what bothers me? Karin actually looks kind of good with a ponytail...grr...  
2) _Fall For You_ (the fanfic Missa and I are writing) is up! First chapter only, though--the one Missa wrote. Chapter 2 (written by me) should be up this weekend. I think. Ish? Hahaha, yeeeeeah...


	22. Chapter 22

**Everything Is Alright**

Sasuke blinked into consciousness a bit after the sun rose the next morning. He didn't get up, instead remaining still and prone. He told himself that it was to ensure that he didn't disturb Sakura's sleep, but in actuality the idea of just lying there with Sakura in his arms was very appealing to him. He'd always been a selfish person, Sasuke mused darkly, toying with a strand of Sakura's hair.

Their positions had shifted a bit during the night; Sakura's arms were curled around Sasuke's torso and her head rested on the bicep of his left arm. His right arm was cinched around her waist, keeping her pressed firmly to himself, and his left arm bent at the elbow in order to keep his hand threaded through her hair.

And so he lay there, thinking of nothing in particular save for how nice the feeling of Sakura's pastel locks between his fingers was. He ran his fingers through her hair; to the ends and then back through again. It made him recall a time when Sakura's hair was much longer—a time when Sasuke had been so quick to misprize her, had so grossly undervalued her.

Sasuke frowned broodingly and leaned forward, pressing his cheek to Sakura's warm, sleep-flushed one. The past was inconsequential, he lied to himself. Sakura had forgiven him—forgiven him for how he had treated her, for how he had abandoned her. She even loved him.

Sasuke didn't believe in any higher beings, but if ever there was a miracle, it was that someone like Sakura could accept someone as corrupted and defiled as Sasuke into her heart.

If he were a stronger person, Sasuke supposed, he wouldn't have allowed her to become attached to him again. It wasn't fair to her, loving him when he knew he'd never be good enough for her. But he was weak; weak and selfish and just so _greedy_, so he had come back and latched onto her again.

Like a leech, he thought disparagingly. If he didn't get a hold of himself, he would suck her dry of all her kindness, all her concern and all her love. He would leave her empty and broken _again_.

But no, Sasuke decided, pressing his cheek closer to Sakura's, letting her warmth burn away the terrible nausea that his dark thoughts brought. Sasuke had learned from his mistakes, and this time he would dredge up whatever he could find in himself to give—anything and everything and whatever Sakura wanted. He would take care of her this time.

Besides, he mused, Sakura had made her choice, had chosen him time and time again. Sakura was frighteningly intelligent—surely she must have seen something in him, some last drop of uncorrupted humanity in him that he himself could not as of yet find. If Sakura believed in him, he resolved, he must be worth it—must be worth _her_.

Sasuke's thoughts were broken off when he finally realized that Sakura's face wasn't just sleep-flushed—while the rest of her face was unnaturally pallid, high color was suffused over her cheeks, making it appear either as if she were blushing heavily…

Or she had a fever.

Sasuke clamped his teeth together to keep from swearing audibly as he re-arranged Sakura in his arms, settling her head against his collar-bone and thus freeing his left arm. He brushed her bangs away from her face and put his hand on her forehead. Sure enough, her face was much too warm, a deep flush suffused over much of her face.

Sasuke did actually swear vocally at this, but he kept his voice tempered to a harsh whisper. Sakura sighed peacefully and snuggled deeper into his embrace. Sasuke's mouth quirked up, unbidden. He growled inwardly, displeased by how easily the smallest of Sakura's actions could affect him.

Heat seemed almost to be rolling in torrid waves off her body, which worried him as it indicated that her fever was high. If the stupid little twerp hadn't insisted on standing in the rain for so long, this problem wouldn't exist. He had _tried _to bring her home, but she hadn't acquiesced.

Sasuke made a face, knowing that if he had tried hard enough, he could have convinced her to come home. He hadn't, however, because Sakura had wanted to stay, and he'd been so reluctant to do or say anything that upset her. As he had realized in the hospital, he had become soft and indulgent around Sakura, foregoing what he knew was best in order to make her happy.

No longer, he resolved. For the time being, Sakura's health came before her happiness. Although he knew that his resolution was justified, he was already disquieted by it, imagining Sakura's face, plaintive and accusatory, the first time he refused her something she wanted.

With a heavy heart, Sasuke gathered her in his arms and slipped free of the bed and its covers, ghosting out of his bedroom and through the silent, chilly hallways. The door to Sakura's bedroom was closed, so he had to cradle her in one arm, partially resting her weight against his hip in the way that mothers held children, as he used his other hand to open the door.

Inside, he placed her on the bed and proceeded to drape blanket after blanket over her. When all he could see was her face peeking over the staggering mound of covers, he sat down on the floor, leaning against the bed, listening to her breathe. Because, he knew, the world would end if Sakura stopped breathing.

--

"This sucks," Sakura mumbled as she threw a used, wadded-up tissue into the waste-basket beside her bed. The trash-stowing apparatus was already almost full of discarded tissues. She'd caught a cold along with her fever, which has not pleased her when she woke some four hours earlier.

"You have no one to blame but yourself," Sasuke informed her blandly from where he perched on the extreme end of her bed.

Sakura winced minutely, prompting Sasuke to immediately curse his foolishness for saying something that reminded her of Lee and his funeral. Still…

"You're going to have to get over it at some point," Sasuke said bluntly, the words slipping from his mouth without his consent. Lee's funeral has brought memories of his clan's demise to the surface, leaving Sasuke in a less than benevolent and considerate mood.

Sakura's mouth parted in surprise, her eyes wide with hurt. Sasuke regretted his words, but there was no going back now. "You have to move on. Sitting around moping doesn't help. I know."

Her mouth closed and her lips quirked upward in a sad, rueful smile. "Yeah," she sighed, her eyes shut. "Yeah. I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. I just…it's so hard."

Sasuke nodded. "I know." She opened her eyes to meet his own, the sudden empathy between them almost tangible.

"It gets better, right?" she asked him after a moment of easy, companionable silence. "The…the ache, I mean."

Sasuke's face softened as he looked at her—lying in her bed, her cheeks flushed with fever, her eyes glowing quietly, and her hair sticking up and disheveled from the many times that she had tossed and turned when Sasuke returned her to her own bed. "Yeah," he said cautiously, knowing that it was true but still so afraid to acknowledge it and have that terrible chasm of loss form in his chest again out of spite.

He considered his words carefully before adding, "It's easier if you have…help." He thought back to the early Team Seven—Kakashi, aloof but so reliable; Naruto, obnoxious but so earnest; and Sakura, childish but so irreplaceable.

Sakura hummed in agreement, her eyelids drooping. Sasuke rose from the bed, seeing that she needed rest. "Sleep now," he told her. She offered him a quiet sigh, and Sasuke walked toward the door after tapping his knuckles to her forehead affectionately.

He flicked off the light switch, leaving her bedroom dim but not dark, pale, early-afternoon sunlight creeping timidly through the blinds in her window. Before he left for good, he said haltingly, "And, Sakura…"

"Hmm?" came her drowsy reply.

"You'll get through this," he blurted out awkwardly, fervently desiring to be better with words. "You…" he paused, his silence thoughtful. "You're strong," he finished quietly, honestly ringing adamantly in his words.

Sasuke couldn't see Sakura clearly in the gloom, but he could make out the whiteness of her small, happy smile and feel the warmth of her gaze. "You think so?" she whispered almost wistfully.

He smiled faintly. "Yeah. I do."

--

She was giving him the look he had dreaded—all big, sad green eyes and a forlorn, practically martyred expression. "Sasuke-kun."

He clenched his fists together, trying to reign in the impulse to tear his hair out. It wasn't fair that she could say his name like that, could use it against him—could make it sound like he had abused her in every way possible, spat in her face, totally abandoned her, and then flushed her goldfish down the toilet just for effect.

All he'd done was refuse to let her go outside.

"No, Sakura," Sasuke said for the third time. "It's cold outside. You're sick. The situation speaks for itself."

She tugged at his sleeve imploringly. Sasuke pointedly avoided looking into her eyes, knowing that she'd be able to sucker him into even taking her to Antarctica if he did. "Only for a little while," she wheedled. "Just to get some fresh air—it'll be good for me, you'll see."

Sasuke glared at her. "No. And that's final."

She fisted her small hands, her eyes flashing brilliantly with anger. …And then she kicked him in the shin. Hard.

Without the aid of chakra or her usual healthy vigor, the kick was actually quite weak and Sasuke barely felt any pain. Sakura, however, was only wearing slippers, and the forceful contact with Sasuke's hard shin left her hopping around on one leg, clutching at her foot.

He was just wondering whether to bring her some ice when Sakura accidentally stepped on the hem of her too-long pajama pants. It sent her reeling off-balance and flailing manically to remain upright.

Sasuke casually looped an arm around her shoulders and steadied her against himself. Sakura's face automatically upturned to look at him, and he smirked down at her. She blushed furiously, which, combined with her fever, made her face completely red (clashing magnificently with her pink hair). Tearing herself from his grasp, she fumbled for words. "I—…you…you _suck_."

With those eloquent parting words, she spun on her heel and stalked away, muttering fiercely under her breath about the injustice of it all and how invalids got _no respect these days, dammit_.

Sasuke resignedly waited until she had slammed shut the door to her room before exhaling slowly and running a hand through his hair.

With her affinity for taking care of everyone and everything while neglecting herself, Sakura was sometimes a very difficult person to care for—to love. Sasuke knew it was hypocritical of him to dwell on it, however—he wasn't exactly the easiest person to care for either, and he was aware of it.

_Taking _care of her was even more difficult. Sakura was probably the most stubbornly independent person he knew. Over time she'd gradually come to accept more of his help, more of his assistance, but it still seemed as if she drew lines that said _Okay, this is what I have to do by myself_. Sasuke disagreed with many of her metaphorical lines, but so far arguing with her about them was getting him nowhere.

At first Sasuke had thought that she resisted his help because she didn't trust him. When he saw that she denied everyone else's assistance just as much and actually in a lot of cases more so, even when Sasuke first returned, he abandoned the theory. His next was that she so rigidly retained her independence out of pride; while he decided that she was rather proud of her independence, that wasn't the real reason behind it.

Eventually Sasuke realized that Sakura was so adamant about her independence out of fear; fear that if she gave it up, she would revert to her old ways of always depending on others to protect her, defend her, take care of her. She was afraid of being helpless, unable to do anything, useless. He'd realized about as much that day in the attic.

"_I don't want to feel useless and pathetic anymore, Sasuke-kun."_

He couldn't help but be proud of her will-power, and somewhere in his musings, it occurred to Sasuke that the point at which he really and truly began to care about Sakura strongly was indistinct.

When he'd first returned to the village, he'd regarded Sakura simply as someone to protect, if only because she had been his teammate and once-upon-a-time that had meant something to him. Maybe it still had, when he returned, but at the time he'd chosen to believe that it hadn't.

And then he had begun to spend time with her—with Sakura, and he had been so amazed (though he'd hidden it well) by how thoroughly she had changed while still remaining the same in the ways that mattered to him. At the very beginning it had been awkward, having her move in with him, but after that, spending basically all of his time with her felt… Easy. Unforced. _Natural. _

Somewhere in the beginning of that stretch of time, Sasuke's feelings for her began to grow and change. Slowly, gradually, effortlessly, Sakura became the center of his world, of his little Sasuke-universe. She mattered the most, came before anything and everything else. She was his most precious person, and Sasuke wouldn't give her up for anything.

Even if she was being a petulant child over being confined to the indoors.

Fancying himself a martyr, Sasuke slid to sit on the floor outside of Sakura's bedroom, determined to be at the ready in case she needed anything. His full and unconditional dedication to her was definitely laudable, in fact nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Around an hour or so later, Sasuke's keen hearing detected motion in Sakura's room. He concentrated and realized that she was walking towards the door. His first instinct was to leave, but his decidedly stayed where he was, nonchalantly leaning against the wall.

The door opened and Sakura peeked her head out. When she found him sitting outside her room, she cringed and shuffled out to sit beside him, drawing her knees to her chest. Ducking her head, she mumbled sheepishly, "I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun." She glanced up at him timidly, waiting for his reaction.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and flicked her forehead gently. "You're so annoying," he told her, smirking.

Seeing that she was forgiven for her behavior, she scooted closer to him, tucking herself into his side with her head on his shoulder—her favorite spot. Sasuke shifted to accommodate her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer so that he could tuck her head under his chin.

"How are you feeling?" he asked after a moment of comfortable silence.

She made a face, scrunching up her nose in distaste. "Awful."

In response, Sasuke hesitated a moment before gingerly dropping a kiss to her temple.

Sakura blinked up at him, tilted her head, and kissed his forehead softly. She arched an eyebrow at him, almost as if daring him.

Sasuke, however, was uncomfortable enough with one kiss, so he refused to be drawn into her game and instead buried his face in her hair, thinking of the day that Kakashi had come to visit Sakura in the hospital.

She'd been asleep when he came, so for two hours he had sat near her bed reading his book while Sasuke had looked on disapprovingly. Abruptly the silver-haired man had snapped his book shut and stood looking at Sakura, his expression something akin to parental affection.

On his way out the door he'd drawled, "Sasuke…"

Sasuke had glared at him. "You better not tell me to take care of her." All of that day people had been in and out visiting Sakura, and all had told Sasuke to take care of her. As if he wouldn't if they didn't tell him to.

Kakashi had offered him that funny smile of his. "No," Kakashi said. "I know you'll take care of her." For a moment Sasuke and Kakashi had locked eyes, and Sasuke had seen that Kakashi had been serious about it.

Reflecting back upon it, Sasuke could only hope that he could live up to Kakashi's confidence. He drew Sakura closer.

* * *

So I really wasn't sure where I was going with this when I was writing it, but at the end it kind of came together-ish. Basically, Sasuke thinks and emos a lot. Oh, and Sakura gets sick. Just 'cause I've been sick forever and I want someone else to share my pain. Yeah. _Oh_oh, and Sasuke's getting more expressive with his affection. Took him, like, twenty chapters...

Unrelated:

1) Um, actually not a lot to say about the latest chapter--417, right? I think. It kind of bored me, actually. No Sasuke. It's really pretty sad that I usually skip over the scenes about Naruto, what with him being the main character that the manga was named after and whatnot...what can I say? I'm a sucker for a pretty face. (coughSASUKEcough) Ahem. As I said, I've been sick.  
2) So I was riding my horse earlier today, right? And suddenly this walnut-thing falls on my head and hurts like _hell_. My horse starts freaking out, which is never fun, and then _more _start falling on us. It can all be explained in two words that you will hear very often around where I live: _goddamn squirrels_.

Dedicated to **indira14** because she gave me some kick-ass constructive criticism. Which I tried!to apply to this chapter. Er.


	23. Chapter 23

**Everything Is Alright**

With Sakura sick, depressed, and confined to bed, the Uchiha manor fell into a silent gloom without her persistent cheerfulness to brighten it. Sasuke began holing himself up in either Sakura's bedroom or his own, as the now dim, deserted hallways and rooms reminded him much too much that in less than two months, Sakura would be moving out and leaving him to be alone. He savagely pushed away the grim notion whenever he could, but it always crept up on him when he lied alone in his bed at night, restless and ill at ease.

That was why, practically every night, he forewent his own sleep and ghosted into Sakura's room, where he would watch her sleep for the remainder of the night, lulled into a peaceful calm by the sound of her breathing.

He vowed that he would make the most of Sakura's remaining time with him—and so he spent all the time he could with her. He became her unobtrusive, ever-watchful guardian, not quite hovering, but always present, always there. Always with her. It was in this way that they spent the first week of Sakura's month off-duty. They didn't talk much, but they both benefited from the company of the other.

Still, Sakura's spirits typically remained comparatively low—she was usually either restless or listless. Some times she paced the room like a caged tiger, and others she lied in bed all day, regaining her strength from the long months she had spent with little rest.

Her physical health was already showing improvement; the sharp, painful angles of her body were already softening, and the dark shadows under her eyes were gradually fading away. Her emotional health was another matter. Sasuke aided her mood with gentle touches, soft glances, and quiet words. Sometimes Sakura would simply lean against him and draw strength from him, as Sasuke had often done to her in the months before. He was glad that he could repay the favor.

Although she was still saddened and disheartened by Lee's death, Sakura seemed to be taking Sasuke's advice to heart. It was as if Sasuke could almost see her struggling to move on, see her taking those first shaky steps on the uncertain, gradual road to recovery.

What displeased him was how Sakura tried to feign happiness for his sake, often offering him the same pretty, entirely fake smile that she had given Neji and Tenten before the funeral—her rhinestone-smile.

For a while now, Sasuke had liked to believe that Sakura had a special smile just for him—a smile she gave him when he and he alone did something that made her happy, a smile that made him feel like he was indeed her most precious person. It was a smile that could cure cancer, a smile that was warmer and brighter than all her others, a smile that was wonderfully, dazzlingly genuine.

That Sakura thought she could fool him with a fake smile irked him. He brought it up one morning when she smiled her rhinestone-smile while they were having tea.

"You don't have to keep doing that," he told her quietly, stirring his tea meticulously and studiously avoiding her eyes.

The smile slipped from her face like a slate wiped clean, her face becoming guarded. "Doing what?" she asked cautiously.

"Smiling when you don't want to," Sasuke enlightened simply, taking a small sip of the hot beverage before setting it down silently. He chanced a glance at her face—her eyes were closed in sudden mental weariness, her expression melancholy.

"But you're not happy when I'm not happy," she stated mournfully, "and I want you to be happy so badly."

Sasuke shrugged. "Then become happy," he directed reasonably. "Because I can tell when you're not happy."

Sakura sulked half-heartedly. "That's your own fault." Sasuke rolled his eyes and flicked her forehead as he cleared away their cups. "And besides, I can't just _become_ happy."

He paused a moment before asserting carefully, "I'll help you."

Her voice was muffled, as she had put her head down on her folded arms. "You're going to buy me a pony before my birthday?"

Sasuke smirked faintly, an idea forming in his brain. "Something better," he promised her.

--

"Are you sure about this?" Naruto queried hesitantly, watching the shipping-employees set up the magnificent grand piano in one of the deserted rooms of the manor. "I mean, Sakura-chan's kinda…delicate right now, and this might upset her."

"No, it won't," Sasuke declared confidently, wishing that he was as assured as he sounded. While he had been sure that ordering the piano to be delivered to the manor for Sakura (without telling her beforehand) had been a good idea, now he wasn't so sure. Sakura had quit playing the piano years ago, and while she had seemed to sincerely enjoy it the night that they were at her parents' house, she had never even mentioned it again after that.

What if having the piano _did _upset her in some way? What if she resented him for bringing back an element of her life that she might not want back? What if she just simply didn't want to play it anymore?

Sasuke clenched and unclenched his fists, willing his doubts away. If Sakura didn't want to play it, he'd get rid of it. If it upset her, he would find a way to make her feel better. And if she resented him…he'd deal with that, he told himself. He _could _deal with that, he lied to himself.

Sometime during his mental deliberation, the workers had finished setting up the piano. Sasuke signed one last form and they departed.

"Right, well, I'll go get Sakura-chan," Naruto decided, and made to bound through the halls to Sakura's bedroom, where she was currently taking a nap.

Sasuke grabbed his arm, intent on giving the blonde instructions on how to properly wake her up. "Don't shout in her ear, shake her shoulder—_gently_. If she refuses to get up, tell her that there are muffins in the kitchen. And—"

Naruto cut him off, equal parts amused and annoyed. "Sasuke, do you know that sometimes you act like you're the only person in the world that knows Sakura-chan—that can take care of her? Because you're not," Naruto informed him mercilessly, and Sasuke jerked in a movement that was either a flinch or a twitch.

The dark-eyed boy stiffened visibly, his eyes narrowing and his hackles raised. "I—" he started, but Naruto interrupted again.

"Just because," Naruto conveyed slowly, his voice just slightly, slightly bitter, "Sakura-chan has always loved you the most, it doesn't mean you're the only one that can take care of her. You're not the only one she needs and cares about, either, as hard as that is for you to accept. Get over yourself."

Sasuke opened his mouth to retort angrily, stung by the truth in Naruto's words, but the spark of understanding and warmth in Naruto's eyes made him grudgingly reconsider. "I never have any idea what you're blabbering about, dead-last," Sasuke claimed instead, salvaging the tattered scraps of his ego.

Naruto laughed and tried to ruffle Sasuke's hair as he had seen Sakura do, only to have his hand swiped away. The two boys broke out in a minor scuffle, and just as Sasuke was finally managing to get the blue-eyed boy in a headlock, Sakura came shuffling towards them, rubbing her eyes.

She squinted blearily at them. "Boys, honestly, do I have to separate you two?" she admonished through a yawn.

Sasuke released Naruto and was by her side instantly. "How are you feeling?" he quizzed. Sakura had gotten over the worst of her sickness a few days ago, but a minor cold still remained. It wasn't anything serious, but Sasuke still worried.

Sakura shrugged. "Ick-ish."

Sasuke nodded, relieved. He had figured out that Sakura had her own vocabulary for how she was feeling, health-wise: "Ugh-ish" was very bad, "Bleck-ish" was bad, and "Ick-ish" was not good, but not particularly bad. When she felt good, she answered with some sarcastic remark.

Sakura's attention was diverted to Naruto. "What're you doing here?" she asked him curiously, moving to hug him.

Naruto grinned at her, taking her up in his arms and spinning her around once, very, very carefully, cowed by Sasuke's stern, threatening gaze. When he set her down, he announced, "The bastard has a surprise for you."

Sakura's eyes brightened, and she turned to Sasuke hopefully. "Muffins?"

Sasuke sighed at her predictability. "There's some in the kitchen," he informed her.

"That's not the surprise, though," Naruto told her before she could hurry to the kitchen.

The green-eyed medic blinked at him before flitting to Sasuke's side and tugging on his sleeve like a child begging for candy. "Sasuke-kun, Sasuke-kun, did you really get me a pony?"

He rolled his eyes. "What do you think?"

She pouted before brightening. "A goat, then?"

Sasuke stared at her. "Why would I get you a goat?"

"Because goats are amazing," she scoffed. "Um…did you get me a train set? A clock? Clothes? Shoes? A guide to building your own lawn ornaments?"

"Why would…never mind," Sasuke rethought. Sometimes it was better to just humor Sakura and not try to understand how her mind worked.

She blew her bang out of her eyes. "I give up. I'm bored of this game."

"I'll show you, then," Sasuke said softly, before staring hard at Naruto.

The orange-clad boy glared and crossed his arms over his chest. "I helped you order it and I don't even get to stay and see her face when you show it to her?"

"Sasuke-kun, if Naruto wants to stay, he—" she began.

"No, Sakura-chan, it's fine," Naruto cut her off. He pulled her to him in a one-armed hug, kissing her cheek. "It's the bastard's special gift for you." He saluted Sasuke comically. "Pleasure to be of service."

Sasuke smirked at him and nodded by way of farewell, and Naruto left.

Once he was gone, Sakura tugged on Sasuke's sleeve again. "I wanna see," she insisted. Sasuke took a moment to savor the way her curiosity and eagerness lit up her face, a welcome change from her dejected expression. Once he had stored away the image in his mind, he nodded and guided her to the room where the shipping-employees had set it up, leading her inside.

Sakura breathed out a soft gasp when she beheld the magnificent grand piano displayed elegantly in the center of the room, its backdrop a large window overlooking the grounds behind the manor, most prominently the lovely, traditional pond.

Her lips parted in surprise and wonder, her green eyes flickered to Sasuke, back to the piano, and then again to Sasuke. Words formed on her lips, but the only thing she managed to vocalize was a strangled "Wh—…how…Sasuke-kun…?"

Sasuke shifted on his feet, regarding Sakura carefully. "Do you like it?" he ventured, unsure of what to make of her reaction. She _seemed _pleasantly surprised, but with Sakura you never knew…

She gaped at him. "Do I…how could you even…" she trailed off and shook her head, bewildered.

"You like it," Sasuke affirmed slowly, tentatively, although fierce pleasure and pride were already building in his chest.

For the first time in a week, Sakura's face lit up, and Sasuke decided that she had never looked so lovely. "Yeah," she smiled softly. "Yeah."

He smiled as well, overcome by her happiness—by the happiness _he _had instilled in her. They stood silently for many long minutes, drinking in the palpable joy between them and simply gazing at the beautiful instrument.

"Would you like to play it?" Sasuke hazarded, unsure if he was crossing some invisible line.

Sakura blinked as if she hadn't expected that she'd get to play it. "…_Can _I?" she inquired, and Sasuke was baffled that she thought she had to ask his permission.

He shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets awkwardly. "Of course you can," he muttered. "It's yours." He added quickly, "If you want it."

An incredulous giggle slipping from her lips, she pressed up against him and kissed him dangerously close to his mouth. Unlike most of her other kisses, this one was hard and fierce and conveyed such emotion that Sasuke stood frozen, shocked.

Before she pulled away from him, she whispered, "Thank you, Sasuke-kun," in his ear, causing the tips of his ears to go red.

Embarrassed, Sasuke mustered all the bravado and nonchalance that he could in order to maintain his unaffected demeanor. "Tch, don't get sentimental," he mumbled.

Sakura stuck her tongue out at him playfully as she approached the piano. She ran her fingertips over it almost reverently, and Sasuke decided once and for all that getting the piano for her had been a good idea.

Sitting at the stool, Sakura experimentally played a scale before launching into a melody that Sasuke had never heard. It was light and fast-paced, the notes _plink-plinking _brightly. As with before, her fingers fumbled a few times because of being out-of-practice for so long, but the overall affect was breathtaking.

Listening to her play and skating his fingertips over the spot where Sakura had kissed him, Sasuke closed his eyes, and, smiling faintly, willed the moment to last forever.

* * *

Haha, yeah. So I kind of rushed through this chapter in order to post it before the day was up--BECAUSE IT'S MISSA'S BIRTHDAY, HELL YEAH. You asked for a make-out session, Miss, and, well...while definitely far from a make-out session, this was kindasorta-ish closer? Than I've come before, I mean. Yeah. But man, you should all be proud of me. I posted a oneshot that is kindamaybepossibly companion!fic-ish to this on Wednesday, I believe, and then I posted Missa's gift!fic this morning, and now this. Bow down to my awesomeness.

I'd like to take this time to profusely thank the superspecial, frickingawesome **Roses of Sharon** for beta-ing _hey angel girl_. Because that story would have been doomed without her. Many, manymanymany thanks.

Unrelated:  
1) So I'm happy, right? Because earlier today I engaged in my favorite pastime: blowing all of my money on books and overpriced, frou frou coffee drinks at Borders. SCORE-NESS.  
2) I haven't really gotten around to reading chapter 420 yet...I read the raw, and I was all like "Enh, whatever," so I'll get around to reading the translated version later...

Dedicated to Missa. Because she is amazing and incredible and awesome and seventeen and I love her eternally. For. Serious.


	24. Chapter 24

**Everything Is Alright**

A few days later, Naruto and Sasuke were sitting at the ramen stand while Sakura chatted with a woman (a former patient, Naruto gathered) some ten feet away. Sasuke's gaze settled unwaveringly on Sakura the entire time. Even after everything, Naruto was still somewhat amazed by how utterly devoted Sasuke was to her.

"So," Naruto began, slurping down some noodles, "how's Sakura-chan been doing since you got her the piano? Because she seems a lot happier."

The topic seemed to warrant Sasuke's attention, as the dark-haired boy's eyes slid to Naruto, but then rested upon Sakura again. The corners of his lips turned up, Naruto noticed. "She's better," Sasuke replied quietly. "A lot better."

Naruto smiled. "Awesome. Anyway, Sakura-chan's tough—she'll get through this, no problem." Sasuke nodded absently.

Having bidden the woman goodbye, Sakura walked back to Naruto and Sasuke, clambering up onto her stool. She blinked when she noticed both Naruto and Sasuke watching her. "What?" she queried self-consciously.

Naruto grinned at her and Sasuke shook his head. "Nothing," he said, his black-as-ink eyes soft. Naruto understood Sasuke's dismissive answer—explaining both of their need to watch Sakura would be difficult, uncomfortable. Naruto wasn't sure that Sakura would ever truly understand how much she meant to them.

Sakura tilted her head to the side slightly and regarded Sasuke thoughtfully before shrugging acceptingly. "Mmkay," she hummed, picking up her chopsticks and starting on her ramen.

Naruto never tired of observing Sasuke and Sakura's interactions. Sasuke's feelings were more evident—the way he always insisted on being with her, the way his attention always defaulted to her. Sakura's were different—more subtle, but still present, still there. You could see it in her expression when she looked at Sasuke; hear it in her voice when she spoke to him, spoke of him. Naruto's vocabulary failed at dredging up a word to describe it, but it was there. It was most definitely there.

That realization might have been what prompted Naruto (after they'd all finished eating) to announce, "Sakura-chan, I need to talk to you alone."

Sasuke, who had been laying down money on the counter to cover their bill, instantly narrowed his eyes at him. "Why?" he challenged.

Sakura's eyes flitted back and forth between the two boys, obviously wondering whether she should head off what might evolve into a fight.

"Relax, bastard," Naruto scoffed. "I'm not going to eat her or anything." He turned to Sakura and said seriously, "No offense, Sakura-chan, but you don't look like you'd taste very good."

"…Um. Thank you?" Sakura replied, the lilt in her voice suggesting that she was undecided on whether to be offended, flattered, or just weirded out.

Naruto shrugged amiably. "Don't mention it."

Sasuke refused to be dissuaded. "Why?" he asked again.

Naruto exhaled dramatically and slung an arm around Sakura's shoulders. "Because I want time alone with my Sakura-chan. Is that so wrong?"

"She's not—" Sasuke tried to deny hotly, but was cut off.

"Yeah, yeah, we all know about your issues with sharing, Sasuke," Naruto waved a hand breezily, enjoying his ability to push Sasuke's buttons.

"Guys…" Sakura warned, not in the mood for their juvenile, repetitive bickering. She turned to Sasuke. "You wanted to pick up more kunai, right, Sasuke-kun? How about you go in the weapons store and get them while Naruto and I talk outside?" Sakura compromised reasonably.

Sasuke stared at her sullenly, quite clearly feeling betrayed. Sakura appeased him by slipping from Naruto's arm and rising up to kiss Sasuke's forehead. "It won't take long," she reassured him.

The set of his mouth demonstrated his displeasure, but Sasuke wouldn't go against Sakura's wishes. He tapped his knuckles to her forehead. "If he does anything stupid, scream and I'll come get you," he ordered sternly.

Sakura humored him and nodded. "Of course, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke spared one more sulky glance at Naruto before entering the weapons store, which was very close to Ichiraku. Sakura shifted her attention to Naruto. "So what's up?" she asked calmly.

Naruto opened his mouth, closed it, and then decided to get straight to the point, which was what he did best. "You love that bastard, don't you?" Naruto posed confidently.

Sakura blinked, her expression wavering between startled and wary. "Yeah," she agreed. "Why?"

Naruto shook his head, realizing her incomprehension. "No, I mean, you _love _him. Y'know? The way I love Hinata-chan." He said it so easily, so casually, but Sakura appeared as if he'd punched her in the gut.

She stared at him in silence for a full minute, before venturing shakily, "Naruto…why would you…? I…I don't really want to talk about this," she asserted, as if that finished the conversation.

Naruto shook his head again. "Nope, Sakura-chan," he said firmly, although a bit apologetically. "Sasuke's too soft with you. He may not make you do anything you don't want to do, but I'm not letting you off that easily. We're going to talk this through, so tell me honestly: do you or don't you love Sasuke?"

Sakura tried to glare at him while making as if to take a step backwards, away from him. "Stop it, Naruto," she commanded. "I said I don't want to talk about it. Just drop it."

It dawned on Naruto that the conversation was setting her on a fast track to becoming very upset, and he realized that he'd probably brought the subject up too soon after Lee's death—she was still too vulnerable now, too ill at ease. Still, he had started it, and now he was going to see it through till the end.

Even if Sasuke killed him for making her cry, Naruto winced.

Naruto made an effort to soften his voice, reaching a hand out to her. She moved away. Refusing to be deterred, Naruto murmured, "Sakura-chan. Hey. Easy. It's me, remember? You can talk to me. It's okay."

Sakura managed a glare. "I told you to drop it."

He raised his hands as if trying to placate a wild animal. "I won't drop it, Sakura-chan. Not when my two teammates are obviously in love with each other but both too self-depreciating and blind to realize it."

Sakura flinched and ducked her head, her hair slipping forward to conceal her face. "You're wrong," she whispered. "Sasuke-kun doesn't love me. He never did. You're wrong."

Seeing that he had at least made a little headway, Naruto laid a steadying hand on her shoulder. She stiffened but did not shy away, which was progress. "I'm not wrong, Sakura-chan. Hard to believe, but that prick is my best friend, and I like to think that I know him pretty well," he understated. "And you know what? I don't think that anyone has ever loved someone as much as Sasuke loves you."

She flinched again, but then leaned into Naruto's touch, pressing her forehead to his shoulder. "You're wrong…" she reiterated, but her words were laced with the barest sliver of doubt.

"I'm not," he maintained. "Have you seen the way he _looks_ at you? The way he acts around you? I'd never thought that Sasuke could show so much emotion unless it was anger or hatred. But…" Naruto trailed off a little dazedly. "He loves you, even if he's not completely sure of it yet. Why is that so hard to believe?"

"Because I'm not…" Sakura struggled. "I'm not…"

Naruto's brow furrowed. "You're not in love with him?"

"That's not it," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I am…in love with him. I'm pretty sure. I'm just not…" she left the words hanging helplessly.

He frowned disapprovingly. "Just not what? _Good enough _for him? Because that's bullshit. And I know without a doubt that Sasuke feels the same about you. That's why he's never going to tell you how he feels. He thinks that just keeping your friendship is better than taking the plunge and telling you the truth."

"Exactly," Sakura uttered, her words muffled by the fabric of Naruto's jacket. "I can't risk what Sasuke-kun and I have now. I can't. I'm…I'm scared. I'm so _scared_." It occurred to Naruto that he was talking to the Sakura of seven years ago, the Sakura who was unsure and anxious and unconfident.

"Don't be," Naruto soothed. "He loves you. Maybe one day he'll have the strength to tell you that, but not before you tell him yourself. Sasuke values your feelings above everything. He's not going to make a move until he's sure beyond a doubt of how you feel."

He said it again because he knew she needed to hear it. "He loves you."

Finally, Sakura detached her face from his chest and looked up at him, her green eyes big. "Really?" she ventured, and Naruto identified a tentative, quavering hope in her voice.

"Really," he nodded solemnly, before feeling the need to crack a joke. "Would I lie to you? With this face?"

Sakura laughed shakily, appreciative of their retreat back into light-ness.

It was then that Sasuke exited the weapons shop, holding a package of what Naruto assumed to be kunai. He stopped short when he took in Sakura's expression of disconcertion and apprehensiveness. Then he was by her side, his hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong?" he demanded. "What happened?"

Sakura wouldn't meet his eyes. "Nothing," she said in a small voice.

Sasuke frowned and directed a suspicious but questioning glance at Naruto. The blonde shrugged. "Sakura-chan just realized she's not feeling well, right, Sakura-chan?" he covered smoothly, which in all honesty was a first.

Immediately concerned, Sasuke placed his other hand on her opposite shoulder, staring her in the face. "Is that true?" he asked, making his voice gentle.

Sakura chanced looking into his eyes. "Yeah," she conceded softly. "Yeah. I'm just…can we go home now? I think I'd just like to sleep."

"Of course," Sasuke nodded. One of his hands retracted while the other repositioned itself accordingly so that his arm was curled protectively around her. With a quick parting word to Naruto, he began to guide her back to the Uchiha manor, the place they both called home.

Sakura looked back one last time at Naruto. The blue-eyed boy smiled encouragingly at her. She nodded slightly and faced forward again, leaning her head against Sasuke.

She wouldn't tell him that day, Naruto knew—or the next day, or the day after that. Maybe not for a month, maybe not even for a year. But she would tell him eventually. Naruto had faith in her. He had faith in Sasuke, too.

* * *

So I know this chapter is a lot shorter than all the others--which is really saying something. But I felt that this scene needed to stand alone, you know? It might be too quick and it might be too sudden and it might be too abrupt, but...I'm actually pretty okay with it. (nods to self reassuringly)

Unrelated:

1) I'm going to my old school's Halloween dance and I'm dressing up as a dark/undead Alice in Wonderland. My friend Marieka is gonna be a dark/undead Tinkerbell, my friend Morgan is gonna be a d/ud Belle, and my friend Alex is gonna be a d/ud Sleeping Beauty. It's going to be amazing. What are you guys gonna be?  
2) So I'm getting one of my best friends (Morgan) a pet rock for her birthday. Is that lame? (is apprehensive)  
3) Sakura kicked SO MUCH ass in chapter 421, for cereal. It was amazing. It made my day.

Dedicated to Missa, because this entire scene? Yeah, it was completely her idea. Fear her power. Fear it.


	25. Chapter 25

**Everything Is Alright**

Over the course of the next few days, Sasuke constantly caught Sakura at staring at him in a way that was both nervous and thoughtful. When she knew her cover had been blown, she would usually just smile and look away, but once in a while she just stared harder, as if the answer to an internal question of hers was printed across his forehead. It frustrated him to no end.

Still, Sakura's mood was much better since he had gotten her the piano. She would play it for hours at a time; Sasuke would simply lean against the wall, close his eyes, and let the music—Sakura's music—wash over him and drive his worries from his mind.

However, for about the first week and a half of her mandatory leave, Sakura could usually be found at an absolute loss of what to do with herself. She'd grown so accustomed to always being at the hospital, to be healing patients and writing prescriptions and reports, along with all of the additional tasks that she willing saddled herself with.

Now, with an endless expanse of free time, she was quite clearly disconcerted. She took to following Sasuke around, asking him questions—her favorites were "What are you doing?"; "What are you thinking about?" and "Why does your hair stick up?"

Sasuke, for his part, bore her pestering with a good-natured scowl and tolerance that stemmed from deep, unconditional affection. He did enjoy having her attention so completely, though.

A constant source of dispute between them was the subject of when Sakura went to bed. Sakura was adamant with her proposal of "I'll go to bed whenever I damn well please, thanks so much,"; Sasuke, meanwhile, was unyielding in his belief that she needed a set "bedtime" so as to keep her from slipping back into her old bad habit of staying up much too late. He thought that nine PM was a good choice.

The conflict lasted until Sakura came up with a compromise. "I'll go to bed every night at nine PM if you read with me from eight – nine. Also, you have to go to bed at nine, too. If I wake up in the middle of the night and find that you've left the house to go party with Naruto, I will be seriously ticked off," was Sakura's proposition.

Sasuke deliberated for a while before deciding that it was acceptable. He knew that if he went to bed at nine, he'd lie awake for at least two more hours, but he was used to such things. And reading with her actually sounded…pleasant.

So that was how, every night at eight PM, Sasuke found himself sitting on the couch with a book that Sakura had chosen. Sakura would then tuck herself into his side, her legs drawn up and her head nestled at the crook of his neck. Often she would spread a blanket over the both of them—a soft, downy comforter of dark green, which, while it was very lightweight, gave Sasuke the exhilarating sensation of being bound to Sakura.

Sasuke would hold the book, turning the pages when they were done—he was uncannily accurate at judging when Sakura had completed a page. However, many times Sakura would have to prod him to turn the page; he'd be too distracted by the warmth of her, the scent of her—the adrenaline rush that coursed through him from contact of their skin.

When Sakura was playing the piano and when they were reading together were the best parts of Sasuke's day.

At nine PM, when Sakura would caress his forehead with a kiss before slipping away from him to the darkness of her bedroom, part of him wanted to curve an arm around her waist and draw her back to him. Another part wanted to follow her and hold her through the night. He would do neither, only bid her goodnight and watch her go.

--

Sasuke looked down when he felt small hands tugging at the sleeve of his black shirt.

Sakura looked up at him, her green eyes solemn. "Sasuke-kun, I have a list," she stated.

When she didn't elaborate, Sasuke felt it necessary to ask, a little warily, "A list of what?"

She bestowed upon him a despairing look, as if the answer was painfully obvious. "A list of what I want to do today."

Sasuke was somewhat relieved; he'd been imagining something less…mundane. He shrugged. "So what do you want to do?"

She sighed and pulled him down to pat him on the head. "Read the list," she enlightened.

"I don't have the list," he pointed out.

"Then maybe you should ask for the list."

"Or you could just give me the list."

"But you haven't asked for the list, so how am I supposed to know that you want it?"

"I asked what you wanted to do. The list would give me that knowledge, so an intelligent human being would thusly assume that I want the list."

"You know what happens when you assume, Sasuke-kun."

"What happens?"

Sakura paused. "…I'm not really sure. There's a saying…I think it involves a donkey? Um."

"You're a moron," Sasuke informed her fondly.

She gave him a sunny grin. "But I'm _your _moron!"

Sasuke couldn't quite smother the small smile that pulled at his lips at that. He tapped his knuckles to her forehead. "Unfortunately," he agreed. "Now, give me the list."

Sakura obligingly slipped a folded sheet of paper out of her pocket, having had enough of their earlier banter.

Sasuke unfolded the paper. It read:

_A List of Things I Want to Do Today,_

_As compiled by Haruno Sakura (AKA That Incredibly Amazing Girl),_

_Involving: Haruno Sakura (TIAG) and Uchiha Sasuke (That Broody Guy),_

_and Not Necessarily in Any Particular Order at All_

_1. Go to library_

_2. Buy new pens_

_3. Convince TBG to buy TIAG lunch_

_4. Get haircut (for TIAG, not TBG, although TBG's hair is getting rather long-ish)_

_5. Engage in Epic Hunt for the Ever-Elusive Waldo (Dude with Obnoxiously Striped Shirt)_

Sasuke stared at the paper, reread it, and then slowly turned to face Sakura. "What the hell?" he asked blankly.

She looked smug. "You're just astounded by its awesomeness, aren't you?"

He shook his head disbelievingly and handed the paper back to her. "I can't believe that no one has diagnosed you yet," he muttered under his breath. "I mean—seriously, you want to go on a hunt for _Waldo_?"

Sakura nodded eagerly. "Yeah! Because, come on…where _is _Waldo? That's like, the eternal question, right there. And I even have a theory: I bet you that Waldo is the missing link. I bet you anything."

Sasuke wasn't sure which he wanted to do more at the moment: kiss the silly girl or attempt to knock some sense into her. He just shook his head again. "Let's just go to the library."

She shrugged, remaining upbeat. "To the library!"

Sasuke had a feeling that it was going to be a long day.

--

Once they had checked out the books that Sakura wanted from the library, they stopped at the stationary store to buy pens.

"I've been thinking about it," Sakura told him, "and all of my pens are boring. I mean, blue, black, red…I want an _exciting _pen. I want something…something with character, something that screams individuality. I want a pen…with ink that is purple with orange flecks!"

"Ink doesn't have different-colored flecks in it," Sasuke informed her blandly as they stepped inside the quaint shop.

"How would you know? It's not like you've ever gotten a pen that wasn't either black or, if you decided to be daring, dark blue." Sakura browsed the rows of office supplies, searching for the pen she wanted.

Twenty minutes later, they emerged. Sakura had, predictably, not gotten the pen she'd wanted. She had to settle for one that was the most obnoxious shade of green that Sasuke had ever seen. She was rather upset.

Irritated that such a trivial thing could disappoint her (and by the realization that Sakura's emotional health still wasn't as stable as it should be), Sasuke posed, "You wanted a haircut, right?"

As he had intended, her eyes brightened to the radiant green that Sasuke knew and loved. "Yeah. I just…" she fingered the tip of her now slightly longer than shoulder-length hair, "I just kind of need the change. You know?"

Sasuke was not actually fully sure what she meant, but he nodded anyway. "Come on, then."

Sakura smiled softly and slipped a hand to the crook of his arm, directing him to the local salon. Business was fairly slow, so Sakura was attended to immediately even though she hadn't made an appointment.

Sasuke had initially intended to watch, but for some reason the sight of Sakura's hair being cut discomfited him, so he stared out the window until he heard Sakura's feet hit the ground when she slid down from the chair.

Turning to her, Sasuke took a long look. Her hair had been cropped to just barely chin-length, as it had been when she'd cut off her hair during the Chuunin Exams all those years ago. It flared out at the ends slightly. Her bangs were trimmed to about eyebrow-level. Overall, it somehow made Sakura look younger and yet more mature. Sasuke wasn't sure what length he liked her hair at, but Sakura was looking in the mirror and smiling, so he instantly accepted and approved of the change.

She approached him, touching her hair tentatively. "Do you like it?" she asked self-consciously.

Sasuke reached forward and batted a stray wisp out of Sakura's eyes. "Yeah," he said quietly, earnestly.

At his response, Sakura didn't stop smiling even when they left the salon in search of a place to eat. Experimentally, she kept turning and bobbing her head. As they made their way to a place known for its good sushi, she even began to head-bang.

He stared at her, amused. "Why are you doing that?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm rocking out to the elevator music in my head."

"One does not generally tend to head-bang to elevator music," Sasuke deadpanned.

Sakura laughed delightedly. "And what do _you _know about head-banging, Sir Broody?"

He didn't talk to her for a while after that.

--

Once they had finished eating, they engaged in the Epic Hunt for the Ever-Elusive Waldo, which basically consisted of walking around town looking for people wearing striped shirts. Sasuke found it rather tedious, but it amused Sakura to no end.

While Sakura was thoroughly engrossed in her game, Sasuke took the time to simply watch her. His green-eyed girl was wearing a pleated black skirt, black stockings, and a white shirt with a V-neck that exposed a triangle of red camisole. The brisk wind and the exercise made her cheeks flush, and her eyes shone with excitement.

Privately, Sasuke was of the opinion that Sakura was lit from the inside, that Sakura had her own personal source of light and brightness that emerged whenever she was happy. Naruto was the same way, but his light came through in brilliant flashes and fireworks. Sakura's was softer, more muted, but steadier and more perseverant.

Sasuke was shaken from his musings when Sakura suddenly ducked behind him. Thinking that she had pissed someone off by pointing at them, he turned to see where she was looking.

And then he slowly turned back to her. "Why are you hiding from Hyuuga Neji?" he inquired carefully.

She cringed. "I'm not hiding. I'm…employing stealth."

"Sakura," Sasuke admonished. "Tell me."

For a long moment Sasuke thought she was going to refuse, but then, after staring intently at his face, she acquiesced. "D'you remember when we went to the Hyuuga Compound a few days ago?"

Sasuke made a face. Sakura had absolutely insisted upon not dropping her weekly visits to check on Hiashi, and as Tsunade had not specified that she could not go and Sasuke was unsuccessful in dissuading her, he had accompanied her to the Compound. Sasuke again had tea with Hinata (he was a bit more sociable than he had been the last time) while Sakura went through her procedures.

When Sakura walked into the tea-room after finishing, her face was flushed a bright scarlet and she was acting very jumpy. She refused to reveal what was bothering her and instead hurried home.

"Yeah," Sasuke nodded. "Why?" his eyes narrowed. "Neji didn't hurt you, did he?" he demanded, his voice suddenly gaining a frightening edge of malice and ill-intent.

Sakura shook her head. "No, no—well. He…" she blushed and looked away. "He, um."

"Spit it out, Sakura," Sasuke growled.

"Hetriedtokissme," Sakura blurted out rapidly, eyeing Sasuke as one would eye a bomb with three seconds left until explosion.

Shockingly, Sasuke's face was a mask of eerie calm. "He _tried _to kiss you," Sasuke clarified.

She nodded hesitantly. "Uh, yeah. We were talking in the hallway and he suddenly began sort of backing me up against the wall and then he leaned really close and I panicked and pushed him away and…and, well, bolted." Her words came out in a rush, as if she was trying to get it all off her chest.

There was no change in Sasuke's expression, only a sudden chill in the air. "Stay here," he ordered in a detached voice, before turning in Neji's direction (the Hyuuga was talking to someone and hadn't thus far noticed Sasuke and Sakura's presence).

"Wait." Sakura's voice took on an apprehensive edge. "What are you going to do? Sasuke-kun, you're—hey! Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke took no heed of her, instead beginning to walk towards to oblivious pale-eyed boy.

But then Sakura's restraining arms were wrapped around his torso. The spontaneous embrace was awkward and clumsy, as she had ended up throwing her arms around his side, pinning his arm between her and his body.

"Give me one good reason not to beat the shit out of him," Sasuke snarled lowly.

"He didn't mean anything by it, it was harmless, Sasuke-kun—"

"He tried to _kiss _you when you didn't want him to." Sasuke blinked once and looked at her. "You didn't want him to kiss you, did you?" he confirmed, sudden dread pooling in the pit of his stomach.

She also blinked, astonished. "Wha—no, of course not."

"Then he had _no _right to even think about—"

Sakura cut him off. "Sasuke-kun, hey. Sasuke-kun. Let's just go home, okay? I'll…I'll talk to him about it later. Let's just go home, Sasuke-kun," she appealed, detaching her arms from him and instead slipping her hand into his.

Sasuke stared at her hard. "Let's go home, Sasuke-kun," Sakura repeated gently.

If only for her sake, Sasuke nodded stiffly and allowed her to lead him home by the hand. Sakura didn't notice when they passed by Neji and the Hyuuga noticed them. Sasuke did, however, and he tightened his grip on Sakura's hand as he shot the other genius a vicious glare. Neji had gone and taken their rivalry to a new, highly personal level.

**LINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINE**

WHY DOES THE LINE THING-Y NOT WORK AGAIN?!

So we can all recognize it as official, now. I am a fluff-whore. D: It's so sad. BECCA IS ASHAMED OF HERSELF. She also doesn't feel like even looking over the chapter, so please excuse any and all stupid mistakes, mmkay?

And I just had a revelation. It was: Where the _hell _am I going with this story? Because I seriously have no idea. (dies) I think...I should kill another character. Wait, no! Everyone should die. Except for Shino. Because he's Shino. But it'd be something straight out of Antigone! Which I actually have to write an essay about for Monday. Guess what I'll be doing at the last minute on Sunday night. Go on, guess.

Unrelated:

1) Newest Naruto chapter (I've lost track of the numbers). Enh. Kinda bored me. Pein and Kakashi fought. I was...less than enthralled.  
2) Let me ask you guys something: is it weird to feed marshmallows to one's horse? Because my mom seriously laughed at me for at least ten minutes straight when I explained to her why all the marshmallows were gone.


	26. Chapter 26

**Everything Is Alright**

The next morning, Neji could be found sitting in the courtyard of the Hyuuga Compound, nursing a cup of tea and glaring at anyone that approached him. Staring broodingly into his teacup, he mused over his own situation involving one Haruno Sakura and one Uchiha Sasuke.

Ever since Sasuke had come back to Konoha, Neji had felt threatened by the Uchiha's extraordinary bond with the object of Neji's affections. At first he had been mollified by his belief that Sasuke was not interested in Sakura romantically, but in light of recent events…

It was undeniable. Sasuke was in love with Sakura. And, as Neji had come to realize, Sakura returned the black-haired youth's sentiments wholeheartedly.

Neji had to admit that Sakura and Sasuke made a striking couple—Sasuke, with his dark good looks, and Sakura, with her delicate, exotic features. They complemented each other. Sasuke was a noticeably more pleasant person to be around when Sakura was with him, and Sakura was much less moody with Sasuke there to steady her.

Still, Neji couldn't help but feel bitter about the whole thing. He had never devoted so much time and effort to winning the approval of one person, and then, just when he was thinking that she was beginning to develop feelings for him as well, she was snatched away from him by a traitor.

He couldn't even fathom how Sakura could love someone who had betrayed Konoha—a shinobi's village was everything, and to accept one who had trampled over that concept so irrevocably…it was inconceivable to Neji.

But then he conceptualized that maybe it wasn't quite so unbelievable. He recalled all of the little moments between Sasuke and Sakura that he had witnessed—all of the glances, all of the touches, all of the words. Sasuke's protectiveness, Sakura's devotion. And he realized that what Sakura and Sasuke had was something that Neji couldn't even begin to understand.

It was something strong and fierce and overwhelming in its subtlety. Something that had been escalating and growing and strengthening between the two, making matters such as political ties completely irrelevant. Neji couldn't imagine what something like that must feel like.

That might have been why he had tried to kiss her a few days ago. After she had finished treating Hiashi she and Neji had been conversing in the hallway, and…something that amounted to desperation and frustration and misplaced anger led him to back her up against the wall and try to kiss him.

Once she had realized what he was doing, Sakura had immediately pushed him away, the alarm and incredulity in her eyes evident. She had backed away, mumbling something about needing to 'get back to Sasuke-kun,' and fled.

And thus Neji's campaign for Sakura's feelings went down in flames.

"Neji-san…?" Neji grit his teeth in irritation when a meek maid's voice interrupted his thoughts.

He turned to face her slowly. "What?" he asked stiffly.

The maid flinched. "Ah, well, you have a visitor."

Neji was in no mood for company. "Whoever it is, tell them to go away," he instructed.

"Wow, Neji, so must be _seriously _ticked off," came a voice from behind him. "Usually you at least ask who the visitor is." Neji knew that voice anywhere.

And then Tenten was standing in front of him, peering down at him from her standing position. Neji considered telling her to leave before dismissing the thought; Tenten's steady presence usually served to ease away distressing thoughts of his.

He stood. "Spar?"

She nodded, and they walked to the Hyuuga's private training yard, where they both dropped into ready positions.

Before they could begin, however, another voice interrupted. "Um…"

They both turned and found Sakura (who had spoken) and Sasuke approaching them. Neji tensed automatically, a practiced impassive expression sliding over face like a shutter.

Sasuke's hand enveloped Sakura's, reminding Neji of the day before when he had passed them on the street—Sasuke's glare, angry and territorial, his hand tight around Sakura's. The same glare that Sasuke was directing at Neji at that moment.

The two stopped about five feet away from Neji and Tenten.

Sakura smiled uneasily. "Hi, Neji, Tenten," she greeted. Tenten echoed the pleasantry. Neji nodded.

"So, uh, Neji, I just wanted to…" Sakura began uncomfortably.

Neji knew what she was trying to say. _I don't think of you that way, I'm sorry._

His gaze softened. "I understand." Indeed, he did. He was much too practical to pursue a relationship with a person that was so clearly going to end up with another. He knew that he had never loved Sakura, only cared for her. He probably would have grown to love her over time, had Sakura returned his sentiments.

But Neji knew, without a doubt, that he never would have loved her as much or as strongly as Sasuke did.

He didn't think that he could ever love _anyone _that much—although, casting a brief, thoughtful glance at Tenten, he deemed it worth trying.

Sakura smiled, obviously relieved at not having to voice what she was trying to say aloud.

--

Sasuke was not in the best of moods, to put it mildly. Yesterday he'd learned that Neji had tried to kiss Sakura, and then Sakura had insisted on going to the Hyuuga Compound to clear things up with Neji—which basically consisted of Sakura starting to say something and then Neji just responding that he 'understood.'

Sakura seemed to think that the Hyuuga truly did understand, so Sasuke didn't push the case, but he decided to keep a close watch on the pale-eyed boy whenever he was around Sakura, just in case he got any funny ideas.

That night, as he laid seething and brooding in bed, he came to what was most definitely one of the most life-altering, core-shaking revelations of his life:

He was in love with Sakura.

The notion had been creeping up on him for some time now, all part of some process, some escalation, some way of letting the notion ease in subtly. First he had realized that he truly did care for Sakura, which, at the time, had been very hard to admit. Then he'd come to the conclusion that he loved Sakura platonically.

And now? Now he knew that he loved her—loved her in that way, that other way, that special, terrifying, beautiful way.

He'd been reflecting on the past day's events and had recalled his sudden urge to kiss Sakura. At first he'd dismissed it as simply a passing fancy, a trivial whim, but then…then he'd found himself thinking that he wanted to kiss her still.

And even Sasuke, socially stunted as he was, knew that wanting to kiss someone was not a platonic form of love.

Eventually Sasuke found himself sitting cross-legged on the floor of Sakura's bedroom, staring at her as she slept. Like always, the sound of her breathing calmed his troubled thoughts, but he was still very distressed.

Mostly because he knew that falling in love with Sakura was the worst thing he could have done under the circumstances. Sakura would never love him in that way again. He was only setting himself up to get hurt—or much, much worse, hurt _her_.

Because what if Sakura did love him back? What would he do? What would he say? Could he really just…live happily ever after with Sakura? Marry her?

The thought was almost inconceivable to him. That he could marry Sakura, make her his in name as well, and…and everything would simply be alright? No family to avenge, no power to seek, no brother to kill? Just waking up to Sakura's green eyes every morning?

No, he told himself firmly. Because Sakura would never love him back.

* * *

GUESS WHOSE LINE-THINGY WORKS AGAIN? In your _face_, Kenna. Hah.

YES IT'S SHORT. DEAL WITH IT. I WANTED IT THAT WAY. And it's probably really weird and random because I was aim-ing the entire time I wrote it (as I still am now). Oh, and I periodically jumped around my room, head-banging to "Last Words" by **Thousand Foot Crutch. **It's all very distracting. Ohoh, and I wanted to get this out early because I'm busy tomorrow and am not going to be home all weekend. Yeah. AND I have midterms tomorrow. Funfun. Except my teacher promised to give me a donut because I'm a genius!kid. Score.

I think this (like, the story) is gonna end pretty soon. Unless Missa hits me with a plot idea that calls for extensions. Yes.

Unrelated:

1) Chapter 423. Nah, Kakashi's not gonna die. I don't believe it. He either has a trick up his sleeve or someone's gonna come save him. But can we please get back to Sasuke now? I miss him...even if he does bring unnecessary drama to the story.


	27. Chapter 27

**Everything Is Alright**

"Where are you going?" Sasuke asked suspiciously.

Sakura crossed her arms and averted her gaze. "Where are _you _going?" she muttered rebelliously.

"Sakura," Sasuke reprimanded. He had caught her trying to edge out the door while she thought he was taking a nap.

She huffed. "Sasuke-kun, I haven't trained in three weeks; I'm losing all my skill!"

Sasuke dug in his heels. "I will absolutely not allow you to train. The Hokage specifically said no physical exertion for a month."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "She meant like, _real _physical exertion! A little light training won't hurt me and will help me keep my skill up."

He sliced her a frustrated glare. "Why won't you ever listen to me? I told you _no_. You think I'm being mean, but I'm doing it for your own good."

"That's the point, though!" Sakura shouted, clenching her fists and making agitated gestures. "_I _know what's good for me. I can take care of myself and make my own decisions! Why won't you respect that?"

Sasuke stepped closer so that he could purposely tower over her. "Do you want to know what your problem is?" he hissed.

She stuck her chin out defiantly. "No, I don't. I greatly dislike problems, try to avoid them when I can, and I really don't like people pointing them out to me!"

He ignored her. "Your problem," he began, dark eyes narrowed to slits, "is that you get so caught up in helping and taking care of every goddamn person on the planet that you completely forget about yourself. You have _no _idea what's good for you, but you get mad at the people who care about you for trying to help!"

Sakura gasped, outraged. "That is _not _true."

He sneered at her. "Yes, it is. Did it ever occur to you that I'm not letting you do what you want to do anymore because when I did, you became ill? Do you know how guilty I feel about what happened to you? Did you ever stop to consider how _scared_ I was when you collapsed? Well, Sakura? You seem to have all the answers."

She stared at him. "Sasuke-kun…I…" she shook her head. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm really sorry. I know I've been stupid, but I just—" she bit her lip, looking miserable.

Seeing that he had gotten through to her, Sasuke put his hands on her shoulders and tried to steer her back into the manor. "Then just come back inside," he coaxed. "Forget about training."

She immediately became rigid, her original stubbornness returning. "No. Sasuke-kun, please?" She tugged at his sleeve. "Just spar with me a little. Just for a little while. Really light, I promise—no jutsus or weapons or anything. C'mon, Sasuke-kun. For me?"

"That's not going to work on me this time, Sakura," he informed her, pointedly avoiding her bewitching eyes.

"You don't care about me," she accused.

Now _that _ticked Sasuke off. "Of course I care about you, stupid!" he growled. "Honestly, I don't think _you _care about _me_. You never stop to consider how much I worry about you. All I'm asking for is your safety and well-being. Is that so much? Do you even care about how I feel?"

Sakura stomped her foot. "Of course I do!" she yelled. "I love you, you stupid-haired moron!"

The instant that the words left her mouth, she grew extremely pale, her eyes widening, before her face turned beet-red. And then suddenly she was running.

Running away from him.

And all he could do was stand there, watching her go.

--

Sasuke stumbled around dazedly, seeking out Sakura's chakra signature.

…"_Of course I do! I love you, you stupid-haired moron!"…_

…"_I love you, you stupid-haired moron!"…_

…"_I love you…"_

He still couldn't even conceive of it. Sakura loved him? _Sakura _loved him? Sakura loved _him_?

The very idea that Sakura could be in love with someone like him…

No, he told himself. She was mistaken. She just _thought _that she loved him, as she had so many years ago. After all, she had looked like she regretted it the moment she said it. Surely that meant something.

Surely it couldn't be true.

But still, _still_, Sasuke could not crush the horrible, treacherous hope that was growing. If there was even a possibility that Sakura loved him…could maybe even love him close to how much he loved her…

Suddenly he felt her chakra flaring. Immediately alarmed, he rushed to its location, which was in Team Seven's old training grounds. There was Sakura, letting loose a flurry of chakra-enhanced punches and kicks in a training sequence.

Instantly, he was beside her, catching her punch and subduing her kick. She gaped at him, startled. Sasuke saw what hinted at tear tracks glistening on her face.

"You never listen to me," he murmured, releasing her limbs and using the pads of his fingers to wipe away all traces of her tears.

She ducked her head, and his fingers fell away. "I'm sorry," she blurted immediately. "I'm so sorry—I just—I was—…forget I said anything, okay? Just forget. Can we please pretend this never happened? I…" her lower lip wobbled, which she hid by burying her face in his neck. "I want to go home. Please take me home, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke felt as if he had been punched in the gut. "So you really didn't mean it," he said slowly.

"What?" came her muffled voice.

His own voice practically shook. "You don't love me." He was a fool, a fool, such a goddamn _fool_—

She came out of hiding to peer at his face. She seemed surprised by what she saw. "Sasuke-kun…I…you..."

"Do you?" he demanded harshly, backing her up against a tree. "Answer me, Sakura." He was almost pleading. "Just tell me. Do you love me?"

"Yes," she whispered. "More than anyone. But it's okay, Sasuke-kun. I know you don't feel the same way, so just—"

"Do you know how badly I want to hit you right now?" he queried sharply.

She blinked at him, confused and surprised.

"You're the most oblivious person I've ever met," he said lowly, running a hand through his hair. "How could you even doubt—ugh. God, Sakura." He didn't even stop to think about it. "I love you. So much, and for so long. I—"

He was cut off by Sakura's abrupt kiss, her arms winding around his neck. He stood, stiff, frozen, unable to process what was going on. Sakura—Sakura was—

And then he was kissing her back, fiercely, desperately, clutching her to him and refusing to relinquish her mouth even when his lungs began straining for oxygen.

When they eventually did break apart, Sasuke immediately buried his face in her hair, panting harshly.

"Sakura," he breathed. "Sakura." Sakura, Sakura, Sakura—

--

That night, they were curled up on the couch for their ritualistic reading hour. But Sasuke had abandoned literature in favor of resting his head on Sakura's shoulder, his face pressed to her neck.

Sakura was gently stroking his hair. They hadn't talked about what happened at the training grounds, but they didn't need to; a glorious, beautiful understanding had bloomed between them, and all the proof that was needed was Sasuke's refusal to unwrap his arms from around her and the tender look in Sakura's eyes.

* * *

Um. Hahahahahaha--yeah. Very late, I know--and I had such a good streak going, too...alas, alack. But anyway. As I hope I have made abundantly clear, I've never really known where I was going with this story, so all you really got was this half-assed attempt. Terribly sorry. This was my very first multi-chapter fic, and, lame as this may sound, I learned a lot from it. For example: when writing a story, HAVE A PLOT.

Yup. There'll be an epilogue-ish thingy after this because I know this chapter was all random and WTF-ish. THERE WILL NOT BE A SEQUEL. Possibly a few related oneshots, though. Who knows. Certainly not me.

Guess what, though? I have a new SasuSaku multi-chap planned; I'm really excited about it. -runs around in circles- Make sure to watch out for it, mmkay?

Unrelated:

1) KAAAAAAAAAAAAAKAAAAAAAAASHIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!! -dies inside-


	28. Chapter 28

**Everything Is Alright**

"So, bastard, you and Sakura-chan finally got together, huh?" Naruto leered, slinging an arm around his best friend's neck. "Took you long enough! But still…it seems like just yesterday you were an asexual, antisocial little awkward turtle. …Oh, wait! It _was _just yesterday. And today, too. Actually, you never did stop being an awkward turtle, did you? Ah well, at least we know you're not asexual anymore! But damn, that reminds me…I lost the bet…hey, d'you think Shikamaru would accept an I.O.U.?"

The only reason that Sasuke didn't knock Naruto clear to the other side of Konoha in the very beginning of his little monologue was because he was too focused on waiting for Sakura to exit the flower shop.

"How long does it take to tell someone one thing?" he muttered.

As if in response to his irritation, Sakura and Ino stepped out of the shop. Sakura was lagging behind, her face hidden in her hands, while Ino marched up to Sasuke, her hands on her hips.

"Roses or lilies?" she asked him crisply as she extracted a tape measurer from her pocket and looped it around Sasuke's neck.

"I—what the hell?!" he exclaimed, trying to fight off the tape measurer-wielding female.

"Hold still!" she snapped. "I'm trying to take your measurements. I ask again, roses or lilies?"

"For _what_? Get off me! Sakura!" He stared accusingly at the green-haired girl, a 'make your insane best friend leave me alone' look in his eyes.

"Ino…" Sakura began, raising her hands in a placating manner.

"Don't even start, Sakura!" the blonde warned. "Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to get married? _Do you?_"

Sakura's reply of "Who are you, my mother?" overlapped with Sasukes bewildered outcry of "_Married?_"

Ino rounded on him. "Yes, married! Or were you planning on just having a meaningless fling with my best friend, hmm? Is that it? C'mon, tough guy, answer me. We'll see how pretty you are with a black eye…"

"Ino, stop it!" Sakura ordered as the tops of Sasuke's ears burned bright red. "You're embarrassing him…"

Naruto, meanwhile, found the whole scene terribly funny. "Yeah, Sasuke!" he snickered. "What _are _your intentions for our dearest Sakura-chan? Speak up, now, don't be shy."

Sasuke glared savagely at him as he continued to resist Ino's ministrations. "Shut up, dead-last! I…" he snuck a glance at Sakura, who was watching him expectantly, her expression devoid of anything that told him what she wanted to hear from him.

Disgruntled and humiliated, he growled to the group at large, "We're only nineteen!"

Ino arched an eyebrow imperiously. "Time is of the essence, Uchiha. You're shinobi! You could go on a mission and die tomorrow! A meteor could hit the earth! A plague could spread! Naruto could say something intelligent and we'd all die of shock!"

Naruto scowled and crossed his arms. "Funny, Ino, very funny."

She waved a dismissive hand at him and opened her mouth to say something else, at which point Sakura found it prudent to step in and save Sasuke from further mortification.

She gently disentangled the tape measurer from around Sasuke and handed it back to Ino. "Ah, Ino…this is all a bit soon, don't you think? I promise I'll let you attack Sasuke with a tape measurer and harass him about flower decorations some other time, okay?" she offered, ignoring Sasuke's betrayed hiss of "Sakura!"

Ino's eyes softened. "I'm gonna hold you to that, Forehead," she cautioned.

Sakura just grinned in response.

--

"Your best friend is crazy," Sasuke muttered sullenly as they walked away from the Yamanaka Flower Shop, leaving Ino and Naruto squabbling behind them.

Sakura ruffled his hair. "So is yours," she reminded him cheerfully.

"Not the point," he grumbled, snatching her hand from his hair and holding it in his own.

She sighed happily and snuggled up to his side. "Sasuke-kun, do you love me?"

He frowned at her. "You already know the answer to that."

"Yeah," she conceded, "but I like hearing you say it. I'm a girl and therefore insecure by definition. Humor me."

He exhaled and spoke to the top of her head, "I love you."

"Do you love me a lot?" was her follow-up question.

"Yes," Sasuke admitted, a bad feeling forming in his stomach.

"How _much _do you love me?" she pressed. "Like, a lot, or a lot a lot, _or _a lot a lot a lot?"

"That's a stupid question," he groused.

Sakura tugged at his sleeve. "Sasuke-kun, if you want this relationship to work, you're going to have to learn to answer all of my inane questions, no matter how much they embarrass you."

"I'm not _embarrassed_," he mumbled.

"Then answer the question," Sakura urged.

A pause, and then: "The third one."

"The third what?"

"The third option."

"…So you love me a lot a lot a lot?" Sakura smiled brightly.

"Yes," Sasuke acknowledged wearily.

"More than anyone and everyone and anything and everything else?"

"Yes."

"And you'd do anything for me?"

"…Yes."

Sakura scowled at him. "You paused, Sasuke-kun. Why'd you pause?"

"Because you're going somewhere with this," Sasuke accused.

She looked offended. "Sasuke-kun! How could you say that? All I want to know is how much you love me. Is that so much to ask? Is it? Does that mean you don't love me as much as you say? Do you not love me at all? If that's the case, I'm afraid we're going to have to get a divorce. But don't worry! It's not me, it's you."

"What are you even talking about? We're not married," Sasuke pointed out reasonably.

Tears formed in the corners of Sakura's eyes. "Now you don't even want to marry me, either? That's it, _Sasuke_. We're through. I want all of your stuff gone by tomorrow."

"It's _my _house!" he snapped.

She tore her hand out of his. "Oh, so now you're going to leave me homeless and destitute? My mother was right when she told me not to marry you, but I didn't listen to her! Now look what's happened…my husband is cheating on me with a harem of older women…oh, the shame…I knew I should have dated Naru—"

Sasuke couldn't take it anymore. "Alright!" he yelled. "Alright. I'd do anything for you. Happy?"

She beamed at him, all traces of her tears immediately disappearing. "Yes! So that means you'd buy me anything, right? Right?"

"Yes," Sasuke groaned, wondering how long it would take them to reach the manor and if he could put up with his green-eyed girl and her nonsensical ramblings until then.

"…So how about that pony, huh? Huh, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura looked up at him, pleased with herself, her eyes shining beautifully.

Sasuke's only response was to drop a kiss to her lips and mutter, "You little twerp."

--

That night, as they lay in bed, Sasuke watched Sakura drift in and out of sleep, content to stay up and watch over her, just in case. Then he remembered something.

"Sakura," he whispered.

"Mmm?" she responded, burrowing further into his side.

He hesitated, and then realized that there was no other way to say it. He drew a long breath. "Everything's alright," he murmured. And it was true; he was holding the most beautiful girl in the world, a girl that loved him. A girl that was Sakura, his Sakura.

Her eyelids raised about halfway, revealing the bright green that he loved so dearly. "I'm glad, Sasuke-kun," she smiled. "I'm glad."

He was glad, too.

* * *

So guess what, guys? My older brother got arrested for underage drinking. Happy Thanksgiving, all.

But, um, yeah. This story is finished finished _finished_. Hmm, what to say, what to say...first of all, I'd like to thank...myself, for being amazing; and then me, for being myself and thus being amazing; and then also Becca, for being me and thus myself and thus amazing.

But seriously? All of you guys that reviewed and said very kind, very untrue things rocked my world. If you apply to that category, go buy yourself something nice. If you took the time to alert and/or favorite this story and read all the chapters, pat yourself on the back. If you are just reading this story randomly, um, thanks? And if you stumbled upon this page by accident...erm, just hit the Back button, bro. It should solve your problem.

And then, of course of course, I need to thank the uber-fantastical Missa for encouraging me and coming up with ideas and ranting about anything and everything with me (but mostly about pretty guys). Love ya.

Again, though, I'd like to apologize for how I pretty much let this story go to hell in a handbasket. But hey, it was my first ever multi-chap, and I finished it. That counts for something, right...? Kind of. You can maybe anticipate a few oneshots from me, and then I hope to see you all at my next SasuSaku multi-chap! Not sure of the title, yet...but right now I'm working the plot out with the help of the ever-helpful, ever-pimping Sharon. So expect something not-quite-soon-ish, but not-quite-later-ish, either. Y'know?

Once again, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. For reviewing and just putting up with me in general. -runs in circles-


	29. Chapter 29

**Everything Is Alright**

_Epilogue(-ish thing)_

"Sasuke-kun Sasuke-kun Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke turned to find his green-eyed girl racing towards him, up the stairs and onto the porch of the Uchiha manor. He caught her as she launched herself at him, lifting her up briefly.

"What, what, what?" he asked, amused.

Her eyes wide and bright and wild, she grabbed his hand, tugging. "Come on come on come on!"

He allowed her to lead him by the hand away from the manor, into the inner Village. The villagers were gathering, chattering excitedly, even though it was the peak of summer and an ungodly hot temperature.

Sakura, lovely in a pale yellow tank-top and a white skirt, charged through them, shouting "Excuse me excuse me excuse me!" Sasuke wondered whether this was another one of her games, to repeat everything she said three times.

He rather liked it better than her game last week, when she addressed him only as "Sasu-baby."

The crowd around the Hokage Tower was very dense, but they didn't have to work to get to the front. Instead, when people saw them, they would just part so that they could get through, smiling.

It really kind of made him wonder what was happening.

Once they were at the front of the crowd, Sasuke looked at Sakura. "What's going on?"

She beamed at him and pointed to the top of the tower. There stood Tsunade and Naruto—except _Naruto was wearing the Hokage robes._

"Oh, God," Sasuke said.

Sakura bounced up and down. "I KNOW, RIGHT?!"

Once she was sure she had everyone's attention, Tsunade spoke. "As you all know, I'm…" she frowned. "Getting old."

Sasuke concluded that it was indeed a very weird day, if Tsunade would ever admit such a thing. Perhaps he was dreaming.

"So," she continued. "I hereby resign my position as Hokage…and leave my post to your new Rokudaime, Uzumaki Naruto." She removed her Hokage's hat and placed it jauntily on Naruto's head. The blonde boy peace-signed, grinning broadly.

The crowds cheered uproariously, shouting and celebrating. The boy they'd used to scorn had come to be a great Village favorite.

Tsunade shook her head wryly. "Gods save you all." She walked away, leaving Naruto alone on top of the Tower.

"Well, it's official. We're all screwed," Sasuke murmured, but he was smiling.

Sakura took his hands and danced around. "He did it he did it he did it!"

Sasuke watched her as she laughed and cried and screamed all at once, hair wild and eyes _green _and God, she was so beautiful.

Naruto spoke. "As my first act as Hokage…I order the immediate construction of a community pool!"

Better than Sasuke had feared. He'd thought for certain that Naruto's first order of business would be to build himself a personal ramen shack, right there in the Tower.

That would probably be his _second _act.

--

_One Month Later_

"Sasuke-kun, can you go get me a drink, please?"

Sasuke glanced over to where Sakura reclined in a poolside chair, her red tankini exposing a strip of her abdomen, her sunglasses hiding her eyes. "What do you want?"

Before she could answer, Naruto strolled over, looking thoroughly ridiculous in his bright orange swim-trunks. "Heyyy, bastard. Hiya, Sakura-chan."

Sakura raised her sunglasses. "Shouldn't you be working on official Hokage business, instead of chilling at the pool?"

He grinned. "I'll have you know that ensuring the happiness of my people _is _official Hokage business." He punched Sasuke playfully on the shoulder. "_Some of us _have real jobs, instead of just taking the occasional S-ranked mission when we _feel like it_."

Sasuke shoved him back, and the situation devolved into a full-fledged scuffle before Sakura stood, taking off her sunglasses.

"Boys, boys. No rough-housing by the pool." She shook her head mournfully. "Kids these days…"

Naruto and Sasuke shared a glance, which caused Sakura to back up, hands raised. "Um, guys—"

They joined together to fling her into the pool. She surfaced, sputtering. "You…!"

Naruto laughed and cannon-balled in to join her. Sasuke sat on the edge of the pool, smirking, and outstretched his arms towards her. "Come here, I've got you." She swam over to him, and he took her in his arms, lifting her out of the pool.

She wrung out her hair. "You guys are jerks."

Naruto's blonde head bobbed. "But we're _your _jerks!"

She hid a smile and went back to her chair. This time Sasuke waited for her to draw her knees up, then sat down on the end of her chair, using her legs as a back-rest. She pressed them closer together so he would have more support.

He leaned back, and Sakura bent forward, massaging his head in small circles. He breathed out, and she peered down at him. "You look happy," she remarked.

He felt the sun on his face, heard Naruto splashing around. He collected one of her hands, rubbing his thumb over her palm. "I am," he admitted.

She smiled and bent down, kissing him on the mouth. He smiled into the kiss, tilting his head for a better angle, but broke off when Naruto splashed water at them.

"Get a room, you two! No one wants to see that!"

This time it was Sasuke and Sakura who looked at each other, and rose to jump in the pool and give Naruto a good, solid thrashing.

In the water, Sasuke took a moment to look at Naruto, yellow locks disheveled, and Sakura, treading water beside him, ankles brushing his. She noticed him watching and swam closer, winding her arms around his neck. "I love you," she whispered into his ear, her wet cheek pressed up against his.

Sasuke was happy.

* * *

OHMYGOD. I forgot all about this story until like, two hours ago, when I was like, hey, I should write an epilogue. So I _did_. Crazy, right? Right.

So. I _kind of _want to write a sequel for this, from Sakura's POV mostly. Maybe have them go on some super-duper mission or something. But I don't know. I have a lot of other stuff I'm working on...and I'm afraid I'll write the first few chapters and then run out of ideas/lose interest/get bored. As dictated by my history. But, maybe.

So, yeah. Thank you everyone for the reviews and kind words and...kindly-worded reviews! You've no idea how much they mean to me. ALL OF YOU ARE NINJA GANGSTERS. Doesn't get any better than that, yo.

Unrelated:  
1) Danzo. Is. Such. A. _Bitch. _-seethes-  
2) Team Hebi (or whatever they're calling themselves these days) had a cute moment! _I'm so upset. _You know, in like, the second-to-latest chapter, when Karin was bein' all annoying and Sasuke was basically just like "Shut up, ho," and Suigetsu was like "Haha, Karin got in trouble!" and Zetsu or whoever was like "Sasuke, you've sure got a lot to deal with." Or something.  
...Yeah, well. It was still cute, and I'm still upset.

:)


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